A Mother's Love
by Chaytons Angel
Summary: Female werewolves couldn't be lone wolves. Those were the rules. That was why Lila stayed on the move. But her daughter needed stability and when a chance meeting puts her in the path of the Columbia Basin Pack, Lila realizes it's time to stop running. In doing so, she finds that sometimes all it takes is a little faith to find happiness.
1. Chapter One

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

Her mother always said there was no comparison to a mother's love. A mother would give anything, do anything, to keep her child safe and happy. Lila didn't understand it growing up. She was born and raised in Belfast, Ireland and sometimes she missed her homeland intensely. When she went to her mother, at the end of her Sixth Year, having completed all of her Leaving Certificate Examinations, and told her she wanted to apply for the foreign exchange program that would put her in one of the colleges in the U.S., she'd always wanted to go to the U.S., for a visit, and this would make that happen, she'd only just begun to understand what her mother meant. Aislinn O'Connell hugged her daughter tightly and murmured "Follow your heart wherever it leads you, even if it's to the dark side of the moon, A stor." There were tears in her mother's eyes and it was only after she was accepted into the program and had her placement set that Lila learned her mother was dying. Late stage four brain cancer. Treatments would prolong her life, for a time, but it was a death sentence. She'd passed away six months after Lila left home, leaving Lila with no home to go back to.

Watching her daughter sleep Lila finally knew exactly what her mother had meant. At four years old Kami had her mother wrapped around her little finger. She was Lila's whole world and had been since before she was born. Lila knew she needed to find some stability for them. Constantly moving from one town to the next, staying no longer than a few months in any one place, was no way to live and in less than a year Kami would have to start school.

Lila sighed softly. There were things about her life that she kept from her little girl, because she was too young to understand them. Like the reason why they moved around so much. Lila was a werewolf. How do you tell a four year old child that you're a monster and have her not be terrified? She wasn't always a werewolf, of course. Kami wouldn't exist if that were the case. She and Kami's father, Robert Ambrose, were attacked when Kami was six months old. She survived but Robert didn't. To this day she had no idea if her pack Alpha had known the wolf who attacked them, or if it was just a rogue passing through. She'd met Robert at college and once they both graduated they settled in a suburb of Bangor, Maine and had Kami in the small apartment they rented. They'd waited until they felt comfortable leaving Kami with a sitter and went for a hike where Robert planned to propose. He didn't get the chance. Their world was ripped apart by the attack, they were both rushed to the hospital because some campers heard Lila's ear-piercing screams, and when she was told he didn't make it she was numb. It wasn't until a stranger came into her room, he wasn't part of the hospital staff, that she understood why she was healing faster than she should have been. She was taken into the pack, but it wasn't a healthy pack. There was a lot of tension between pack members, and when Kami was two, Lila had taken her with her to talk with the Alpha about some issues she'd been having with one of the males, when a fight broke out between two other pack members. The fighting got out of hand and Kami was almost injured. Lila couldn't handle it, she wouldn't let her daughter be in danger again, and so she packed what she could fit into the trunk of her car and fled Maine. They'd been on the move ever since.

Today they were in a rundown motel on the outskirts of the Tri-Cities, situated between Richland and Kennewick, just on the edge of what she knew was the territory for a local werewolf pack. Usually, if she was in an area where there was a werewolf pack, she didn't stay long, a few days at most. But money was getting really low and she was going to have to find some temporary work she could do while keeping Kami close. If she was lucky they wouldn't be discovered. See, female werewolves weren't allowed to be lone wolves. The Marrok, the Alpha of all Alphas, ruler of all the werewolves in North America, decreed females too precious to allow them to go it on their own, because they were so rare. The magic that made them what they were required such damage that few women were strong enough to survive the trauma. Lila was one of the lucky ones. And she did consider herself lucky because otherwise her angel would have been orphaned.

Thinking about the local pack Lila closed her eyes. She was still tied to the pack in Maine, if she focused she could feel the bonds, they were frayed, strained, but still there. She was so tired of running, so tired of being alone and having no one to depend on, no one to turn to in times of need, but how was she supposed to trust that her daughter, her entire world, would be safe if she went to the local Alpha seeking refuge? She knew nothing about the pack or it's Alpha. For all she knew every pack was as dysfunctional as the one she'd left in Maine.

There was a knock at the door and Lila went to answer it. She knew Kami would sleep for a while yet. What made things worse for Lila was that sometimes, like now, she had to do things she never in a million years would have expected she'd do. Things that left her filled with shame. But, as her mother once said, there is nothing a mother wouldn't do to provide for her child. The man at the door wasn't extremely attractive, but he was clean. He glanced at the sleeping child and Lila moved towards the other bed. "She'll sleep long enough," she said quietly. The man nodded and moved to join her. She removed the jeans and shirt she'd been wearing and that was all the urging he needed. He didn't care about the kid, the woman on the bed was hot and it was kinky as hell having the kid there anyway. Lila stared at the ceiling while he did his thing and when he finished and the condom was discarded, he dropped the cash on the bed and let himself out. Lila curled on her side and cried quietly. Maybe she needed to swallow her fear and try to find out who the local Alpha was. She didn't want to do this anymore, she couldn't, not and be able to look herself in the mirror.

An hour later, when Kami awoke from her nap, Lila was showered and dressed to go out. Lila brushed her daughter's hair to smooth it and helped her with her little jacket so they could go get lunch. With the money she'd made earlier she had enough to get them through the week but then she would have to make a decision. If she'd been there long enough to trust someone with watching Kami, she could go to a temp agency for a few days, but she wouldn't leave her little girl with just anyone. Sure, she could do what she'd done that day, screw men for money, but it made her feel dirty and it was only a last resort option.

Once outside in the sunshine she tried to put her troubled thoughts aside. "Want to walk, mo stoirin?" she asked and laughed softly at the way Kami bounced at the idea.

"Yes!" Kami said and giggled.

"Alright, come on then. Let's go to IHOP, I know you love their french fries." The restaurant was ten minutes away and if Kami got tired Lila would just carry her.

IHOP was one of Warren's favorite restaurants. The food was good, there was plenty of it, and it didn't cost a fortune. It was also close enough to work that he could drive over for lunch whenever he was in the mood to. He'd stopped in for lunch and was sitting at the counter, forgoing a booth or table since it was just him, when the door opened and a young woman walked in holding a child. The woman's hair was a deep, dark red and a pair of brown eyes glanced around the restaurant warily. That was interesting. The child had her mother's eyes and a paler version of her red hair. Warren started to dismiss them, it wasn't his business why the woman seemed tense, oh, who was he kidding, he wouldn't be able to leave without making sure everything was okay, when the woman slipped passed him and he caught her scent. His nostrils flared and he shifted in his seat to watch her from the corner of his eye as she was led to a table. He studied her for a moment. Where was her mate? Female werewolves weren't allowed to be lone wolves and he hadn't heard about any mated couples coming to the area. It was customary, even if just visiting, for wolves to contact the local Alpha so there were no issues and Adam would have told everyone about the visiting werewolves. He waited for someone else to come in but after five minutes he realized the woman **was** alone. Something wasn't right here. He noticed her counting her money, a small frown on her face, while she simultaneously studied the menu, and waved the waitress down. "Let the little lady there know her bill is covered and to go ahead and get whatever she wants," he said and handed the waitress a fifty. "Keep the change for a tip, darlin'," he added. He finished his lunch and slipped out of the restaurant before the waitress could point him out. He didn't leave though. He sat in his truck to wait because he intended on talking with the woman when she was done.

********************MT********************

Lila was looking at the menu when the waitress stopped at their table. "Ma'am? A Good Samaritan asked me to inform you that your bill has been taken care of and to get you and the little girl whatever you want."

Lila blinked at the waitress. "I'm sorry, did you say the bill has already been paid for? By who?" she asked with a frown.

"The gentleman..." The waitress started to point him out but he was gone. "He was sitting there just a minute ago, but I guess he left. All I know is he gave me a fifty and said to tell you to get what you wanted."

Lila wasn't sure what to do. Who would do that and why? No one does anything just out of the kindness of their heart. People just didn't do that kind of thing.

"Mommy? Can I have chocolate milk?" Kami asked. It was her favorite but she didn't get to have it often.

Lila looked at her daughter and the request made the decision for her. "Of course you can mo stoirin," she replied then put in an order that would give them enough to take back to the motel with them for dinner later, and breakfast for Kami in the morning. She was nervous, wondering what the catch was going to be, because there was going to be one she was sure, but she tried to push the worry to the back of her mind and enjoy their lunch. She had a feeling whoever the 'Good Samaritan' was he would be waiting outside for them. When they ate what they could Lila got a couple of boxes and a bag to carry them in, took Kami to the bathroom to use it, and then they headed out the door.

********************MT********************

Warren was watching the door from where he sat in the truck and when they came out he got out and approached them. "Excuse me, Miss," he said. "Easy darlin', I don't mean you or the little one any harm," he added when she tensed at his approach. She was a jumpy little thing.

Something told Lila this was the man who'd left the money. How had she known he'd be waiting? Instinct. "You're the one who gave the waitress the money for our meal," she said, head tipping a little to watch him. As soon as he was close enough for her to catch his scent she froze. "What do you want?" she asked and there was a hint of a growl in her voice.

"Mommy? What's wrong?" Kami turned those deep brown eyes to her mother before she looked at the man who was making her so upset. He didn't seem like a bad man to her but mommy was upset, that meant he was bad. She scooted behind her mother and whimpered.

At the whimper Lila turned and picked her up. "Shh, it's okay mo stoirin," she murmured and rubbed her back. "I ask you again, what do you want?" she said to the man.

"Just to help you," Warren said. He smiled at the little girl to try and help with the tension he'd caused. "I'm Warren Smith," he said, introducing himself. "Where's your mate, darlin'? Or your pack?" he asked.

"I don't have one," she said and since she wasn't lying, not entirely, because she didn't have a mate, she hoped he didn't realize it was only a half truth. "I don't want any trouble. We're just passing through, we'll leave right away," she added and shifted as if she was ready to bolt any second.

"You don't need to leave," Warren said gently. "But it's not exactly safe for you and the little one to be on your own, either, especially in this area," he added. There were things in the Tri-Cities, like the local seethe, that would take full advantage of an unaffiliated werewolf. He watched her face. "Something tells me you've been running for a while. Let us help you."

Lila wanted to just ignore him, just turn and walk away, but she didn't. "I can't discuss this right now," she finally said. She knew Kami was confused by the conversation and she didn't want to go further into it while Kami was awake.

"Alright," Warren replied. "I'll tell you what, I'll give you a number where you can reach me if you want to discuss it later. I know you're scared for that little girl of yours, I can practically feel it, but there's safety here." Warren got a piece of paper from the truck and wrote his cellphone number on it before he handed it to her. Then he left. That was all he could do. The rest was up to her. Sure he could have followed her, but that might make her feel threatened, so he would let her make the choice to reach out to them.

********************MT********************

Lila got back to the motel and got Kami distracted with cartoons. She didn't want to explain the odd conversation with her daughter. She stared at the number then set it on the little table beside her phone and left it there. For now.

Hours later, the sun had long set, Kami was sound asleep, and Lila sat there staring at her phone. Her hand shook when she picked it up and dialed the number she'd been given. She wasn't sure **why** she trusted this Warren Smith, she wasn't sure why she believed he just wanted to help and that they would be safe there, but there was something in the way he'd spoken to her... Well, it didn't matter why, she just did.

********************MT********************

Warren headed right to Adam's as soon as he was off work. "Adam, something real interesting happened today. Stopped for lunch and ran across a female werewolf, with a little girl. Traveling alone. No mate, not sure about a pack, but if she has one she's not been with them in quite a while. I gave her my number, I don't know why but I have a feeling she'll be calling."

Mercy overheard the conversation and stepped into Adam's office, where they were talking. "That sounds a little sketchy," she said. "Her being on her own I mean."

Warren nodded. "She was awful worried I'd hurt her little girl, I think whatever has her running has to do with the child." His phone rang and he glanced at it. The number was unfamiliar but local. "Hello?"

Lila swallowed her fear when he answered on the second ring. She almost hung up but forced herself to stay on the line instead. "Is this Warren Smith?" she asked. "My name's Lila O'Connell, we met outside of IHOP, earlier, but I forgot to tell you my name," she added quickly so he didn't hang up on her.

"This sure is. It's alright, you were a bit shaken up earlier. I'm really glad you called Miss Lila," Warren replied. "Like I said earlier. I want to help you. So does my Alpha. We're werewolves, we need a pack to be happy and healthy."

Lila hugged herself. She'd known, as soon as she picked up the phone, that she wasn't going to run anymore but it was still hard to agree. The urge to flee was still there, it had become her first response to potential danger. "Is there... any way you could come to the motel for us to finish this? I feel awkward talking about this over the phone."

Warren looked at Adam who nodded. "Sure thing, Miss Lila. You should know, I'm the Columbia Basin Pack's third and I'll be coming with our Alpha and his mate. I don't want you to be startled or feel threatened when we get there."

"Okay. Knock quietly, please. Kami, my daughter, is sleeping," she said softly. She wasn't at the top of the dominance spectrum, she was more in the middle even if by being unmated she was technically at the bottom of a pack, and part of her was a little nervous about meeting the Alpha. But she was so tired of running, so tired of never having anyone to lean on for help. And her daughter deserved better. She gave Warren the name of her motel and her room number and then waited for them to arrive.

********************MT********************

Lila was pacing the floor by the time she heard the soft knock. She moved to the door and gripped the handle. "Who is it?" she asked quietly. Caution was best, since she wasn't sure **who** was on the other side.

"It's Warren."

Her shoulders loosened, tension she hadn't realized she felt easing from her, and she opened the door. Her eyes immediately went to the man at Warren's side. She met his gaze briefly then looked down. "Come in," she said and stepped back. "But speak softly, please. I don't want to wake Kami."

Mercy stepped in behind Adam and smiled. "Hi, I'm Mercy Hauptman."

"Lila O'Connell," Lila replied and frowned at the woman's scent. "What are ye?" she asked without thinking. Her Irish brogue was thicker when she was startled, like now. Then she blushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude."

Mercy waved the apology away. "It's okay, I get that a lot. I'm a coyote shifter but unlike you guys who get nifty things like being hard to kill, all I get is speed."

Adam moved to them and slipped his arm around Mercy before he looked at Lila. "I'm Adam Hauptman, Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack," he said. "When Warren told us about your situation, albeit we only know a tiny bit of it, I knew we needed to meet."

"Please, sit," Lila said and sat on the foot of the bed where her daughter slept. That left the other bed and the two chairs at the little table for the others to occupy.

Adam picked up one of the chairs and moved it closer to her while Warren sat on the other one and Mercy perched on the edge of the other bed. "Warren said he asked where your mate or pack were and you told him you didn't have one. I assume you were referring to a mate and not a pack. Not having a pack, we know, is not an option for you because female werewolves are not allowed to be lone wolves. Even if you traveled here from Ireland you would have had to join a pack, those are the Marrok's rules. What happened that made you run from your pack, Lila?" he asked gently.

Lila looked down at her hands then back up at him. "I came here from Belfast when I was eighteen, on an exchange student program. I requested permanent alien status two years in because I wanted to stay. My junior year I met Kami's father, Robert. We moved in together after graduation, had Kami, and when she was six months old he and I were both attacked. We'd gotten a sitter so we could have a day out. We both loved the outdoors and went hiking near a campground. That was when it happened. I started screaming and some campers came running. Maybe that's why I survived and Robert didn't. The rogue didn't get to do as much damage to me as it did him. It fled when someone started shooting at it. I remember hearing the gunshots and then everything went dark. It wasn't until I awoke in the hospital with a stranger watching over me that I found out Robert died in the attack. And that I was no longer human. We were living just outside of Bangor, Maine and I joined the pack there so that I could learn control and not be a danger to Kami. I was having problems with one of the males and I'd gone to talk to our Alpha about it... the pack wasn't, isn't, very healthy. Its like a big, dysfunctional family. There were a couple of others at the house and because I was on the way to work, I had Kami with me because I was going to drop her off at the sitter, and a fight broke out. She was almost hurt and I.. I panicked. I packed up everything I could fit in the car and I fled. I couldn't put her in danger again, and I knew in that moment that nothing I said would change anything. The Alpha wouldn't put a stop to the harassment I was getting. I've been on the move ever since. I don't stay anywhere for too long, a few months at the most, and only a day or two if I realize there is a pack in the area."

Adam listened to her and had to fight to keep his anger in check over the child almost being hurt. "So why didn't you run after talking to Warren? Why stay and call him when you could have easily disappeared?"

Lila shifted her gaze to her daughter. Watching Kami sleep, she knew she had to be completely honest, with herself as well as with Adam. "Because I'm tired of running. I'm tired of being alone, never knowing if something I do is going to put Kami at risk. And Kami deserves some stability in her life. I won't lie, the thought of being in a pack terrifies me because it would kill me if something ever happened to her, but I have to admit that I can't do this alone anymore." She shuddered and looked down so her face was hidden by her hair. "Not if I want to be able to look myself in the mirror," she said softly. She knew the room still held the faint odor of sex and she wasn't stupid, they would figure out what she meant.

Mercy frowned a little. "What do you..?" Then it registered and there was a look of soft horror on her face. "Oh, god, you poor thing," she said.

"We can give you and your daughter that. I understand your fear, after what you've been through, but you are both safe here, Lila," Adam told her. "We have a guest suite at our home, it's pack central so there is always someone around." He leaned forward and put the sincerity he felt in his voice. "I'd like you and your daughter to move in there until you find a job and are stable enough to rent a place of your own."

Lila wanted to say no, she really did, because of the fear of putting Kami in danger, especially since he said the house was pack central. But there was an air of calm about Adam as he spoke that confused her. "I don't know," she finally said.

"I understand your hesitation, Lila. You fear for your daughter's safety. I am a parent myself. My daughter Jesse is almost sixteen. She would be the first to tell you that growing up with a pack of werewolves looking out for you can be both very comforting and very frustrating. Comforting because of the protectiveness of the pack and frustrating for the same reason. Your little one will never come to harm by anyone in this pack."

Lila heard the truth in his words. If she'd heard anything that sounded like a lie, or even hinted at a lie, she would have refused. "Okay," she agreed. She moved to the dresser and packed the clothes she'd put in there the night they'd arrived in the area. There wasn't a lot to pack and soon the two large suitcases were ready to be carried out to the car.

"Let me get those for you," Warren said and carried them outside.

"The pack bonds were never cut, from the pack I was in back in Maine," Lila said after a moment.

"Don't worry, we'll get that taken care of," Adam replied. He wondered why her old pack hadn't tried to track her down, or at least called the Marrok about her. If they'd made that call every pack in the country would have been told to keep an eye out for her. He needed to give Bran a call once Lila and her daughter were settled into the guest suite.

Lila did a final sweep of the room, to make sure she didn't forget anything, then went to the bed. She hated waking Kami once she was asleep but she'd be able to go back to sleep soon. She picked her up, carefully, trying to disturb her as little as possible, and carried her out to the car. It was an old Honda Civic, a little worse for wear, but it still ran decently.

"Looks like you've got an oil leak, Lila," Mercy said. "We'll get your car to the garage tomorrow and I'll see if I can find it and fix it," she added. "I'm a mechanic," she said at the look she got.

"Oh, that's... you don't see a lot of female mechanics, that's cool," Lila replied as she opened the car door to put Kami in.

"Mommy?" Kami opened her eyes and rubbed them. Being carried to the car woke her up but she was still a very sleepy little girl.

"It's okay, mo stoirin, these are friends. We're going to be staying with them for a little bit," Lila said and kissed her forehead. "You can go back to sleep."

Kami spotted Warren. "You're the nice man from IHOP," she said as her mother got her strapped into her booster seat.

"I am. You get some rest now, little one," Warren replied.

Lila closed the door and chewed worriedly on her lip for a moment. "I need to go turn in the key and check out."

Mercy nodded. "She'll be safe, I promise."

Lila hesitated but took the key to the office and checked out. The man at the counter owned the motel and he leered at her. He'd given her a free day after she performed oral sex on him and she realized she was very glad to be getting away from there. She breathed a sigh of relief when she slid behind the wheel of her car and followed Adam and Mercy to their home while Warren headed on home to his mate.

Lila thought about what lay ahead. They would have to get the old pack bonds severed and she had a feeling that was going to be... unpleasant, but it would end a chapter of her life, in a sense, and open her up to something new. It would allow her to become a part of the Columbia Basin Pack. Glancing back at her daughter, who'd fallen back to sleep, she just hoped she was making the right choice.


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

Adam sat at the desk in his office after they got Lila and Kami settled in the guest suite and made the call to Bran.

"Adam, to what do I owe this late night call?" Bran asked.

"I apologize for the lateness but we have a situation here. This afternoon Warren came across a female werewolf on the edge of pack territory. It seems she is from a pack in Maine but she's been on her own for two years, since she fled the pack because two males got into a fight and her then toddler daughter was almost injured. She's still bound to the pack."

Bran drummed his fingers on his desk while he listened. "Interesting. I was not aware the Bangor Pack had lost a member, much less a female one." The fact that the pack's Alpha neglected to inform him of it bothered him. If he'd hidden this, what else was he hiding?

"She wishes to join the Columbia Basin Pack but the old bonds have to be severed first," Adam told him.

"It will be done. I will contact her old Alpha in the morning."

"Thank you."

"No, Adam, thank you. I would be very curious to know where she has traveled and how many packs ignored her presence for her to be on her own for two years without anyone aware of it."

"I'll ask and let you know," Adam said and hung up.

********************MT********************

Lila watched her daughter sleep. She was peaceful and knowing they were safer than they had been in two years made Lila feel a bit weak with relief. She was nervous as hell about exposing Kami to her world, she'd almost been hurt once, but Lila had to admit she missed the unity that came with being in a pack. Technically she was still in a pack but she'd not been near them in two years. There was no feeling of unity there.

She pushed her troubled thoughts aside. She was tired and for the first time in a long time she could let her guard down to **really** rest. She moved to the bed, curled around her little girl, and let herself relax, let sleep drag her under.

********************MT********************

Three days after first meeting Warren, and through him, Adam, Lila found herself pacing back and forth in the dojo section of the garage. Jesse was entertaining Kami in the house because she knew the little girl didn't need to be around when Lila's old pack bonds were severed. She'd seen how bad it could be when Henry was sent off to Aspen Creek after all the stuff he'd pulled. Adam had received a call to meet the Alpha of the Bangor Pack at the private airstrip and they were on their way back to the house now.

"Lila, darlin', you're going to wear yourself out," Warren said. He wasn't the only pack member there. They would sever her old ties and give her a day to recover before having the joining ceremony that would bind her to the Columbia Basin Pack, but there were still several members of the pack there sort of for moral support.

Luna moved to Lila and touched her arm. "You're nervous about how seeing your old Alpha might affect your wolf," she said softly. "We're all here for you, you'll be fine. We won't let you do anything you'll regret later."

Lila sighed and let some of the tension leave her. "Thanks. He was a bit of a bastard so yeah, I'm a little nervous," she replied.

The door to the dojo opened and Adam entered. He was followed by a man a few inches taller than him with broad shoulders and sandy blonde hair. Lila frowned. "Joseph? What are you doing here? Where's Marcus?"

"Hello Lila. Marcus is no longer Alpha. The Marrok arrived yesterday and... relieved him of his position. He made me Alpha." There was a flash of sorrow in his eyes. "No amount of apologies can make up for what you've had to go through the last two years. Marcus forbade any of us from trying to contact you after he found out I was trying to track you down. He also forbade any of us from telling the Marrok. He said you'd swallow your pride and come crawling back eventually. He didn't understand why you left."

Lila stared at him. "That's what I felt yesterday, the change of leadership," she said after a moment. "And why do you think I left?" she asked.

"Because Isaac wouldn't take no for an answer," he replied.

"That's part of it," she admitted. "I went to talk to Marcus about it. I had Kami with me because I was going to drop her off at the sitter's on my way to work. Did he tell you a fight broke out between two of the newer wolves in the pack and Kami almost got hurt?" she asked.

"Oh shit, no, he didn't say anything about that."

"That's why I ran, Joseph. My little girl was almost injured, she could have been killed, because he didn't care enough to keep the pack under control. I couldn't put her in that kind of danger. Now I just want to be free of the pack so I can move on with my life."

"That's why I'm here, to perform the ceremony that will sever the bond. I'm sorry I wasn't dominant enough to disobey his orders," Joseph said.

"Thank you, I appreciate the sincerity," Lila said. "Let's get this over with," she added. Joseph nodded and stepped closer to her. Just as with the bonding ceremony, a bit of flesh and blood was needed, but this time it was Lila's arm that was cut. "That which was bound by Alpha's flesh and Alpha's blood is bound no more. Alpha's flesh, Alpha's blood, returned from whence it came. No more to run, no more to hunt, no more to fight. No more to answer the call of the pack. Banished. Pack no more." Joseph took the bit of flesh from her arm and swallowed it, symbolizing the return of the Alpha's flesh and blood, and the bond holding her to the Bangor Pack was ripped away.

Lila hadn't expected the pain that hit her when the bonds were suddenly gone. It felt like part of her was ripped away, she had trouble breathing for several moments, and there was a deafening silence in her head. She stumbled from the pain and someone caught her. She couldn't even focus enough to tell who's hands were keeping her upright because she was so disoriented. "God that hurt," she finally managed to say.

"Hurts like hell," Ben said from where he was standing with Luna. Both of them had been through it recently enough they remembered the pain.

"I hope you find what you're looking for here, Lila," Joseph said.

"Darryl will get you back to the airport," Adam told him. It was his hands that had caught Lila when she'd stumbled from the pain. He turned his attention to her. "Let's get you into the house so you can rest."

Lila didn't argue, she just let herself be taken inside so she could sit and adjust to the sudden emptiness of no longer being bound to a pack. It was... unsettling to say the least.

********************MT********************

The next evening Adam enlisted Jesse's help again with Kami. Jesse didn't mind because she thought Kami was the sweetest little girl ever. Well, next to the Sandoval girls, but then she was a bit partial to them because of their brother, Gabriel. She took Kami upstairs to her bedroom, put some fun, upbeat music on, and colored with her to keep her from wondering where her mother was.

Lila stood in the center of the basement room, surrounded by werewolves, and waited patiently for the ceremony to begin.

"Look me in the eyes with no offense taken or meant, Lila Shivon O'Connell."

"I see you Adam Alexander Hauptman, Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack."

"Will you join with us, to hunt, to fight, to live, and run?"

"Under the moon, I will hunt, fight, live and run with you and yours, who shall be mine."

"We claim you," Darryl said and those gathered echoed the words.

"I claim you," Adam said before he cut a small piece of skin from his arm and offered it to her. "Alpha's flesh and blood you shall be. From this day forward, mine to me and mine. Pack."

"Yours to you, mine to me." With those last words the power of the joining hit her and she gasped. It definitely wasn't as bad as when the old bond was severed. It was a rush of heat that burned through her a moment before calming until there was a gentle hum that made her feel connected. The Columbia Basin Pack was a lot healthier than her old pack.

"Welcome to the pack," Mercy said with a smile. "This is the only pack you'll ever find that is made up of more than just werewolves," she added.

"What do you mean?" Lila asked curiously.

"Well, first there's me, which you already know I'm a coyote shifter, not a werewolf, and yes we were shocked when the magic worked. It shouldn't have but it did. Then there's Joel over there," she said and pointed him out. "He's a tibicena, which is this volcano dog thing from the Canary Islands. Long story," Mercy said at the look on her face. "I can fill you in some time though, if you'd like to hear it," she added.

Lila gave her a funny look. "Um, yeah, I think I would because that's got to be an interesting story."

"You have no idea," Ben said. "I second what Mercy said, welcome to the pack. If you need anything, just let any of us know. We're all here to help," he told her.

"Thank you. This pack is a lot healthier than my old one," Lila said.

"It wasn't always this healthy but it's gotten better due to a few changes," Mercy told her.

"I'm going to go make sure Kami's okay," Lila said and went back upstairs then up to the second floor.

"She's still uncomfortable with being around the pack," Luna said thoughtfully.

"With all she's gone through, I don't blame her. It's not just her old pack," Mercy said. She and Lila had talked a bit because they'd wanted to know **why** no other pack had offered her help. "She's been in other pack territories and got ran off because they assumed she was 'scouting' for her pack. No one would believe she was alone because females aren't allowed to be lone wolves. I know if it was me in her situation I'd be reluctant to trust too."

"What I don't get is why didn't she go to Aspen Creek?" Luna said. "Why didn't she go to Bran? It's almost as if her old Alpha kept her in the dark about him."

"Or maybe he made her believe all Alphas were indifferent, like he was, so she didn't think he'd care," Ben suggested.

"It doesn't matter. She's here now and we'll all help her to realize what a healthy pack is like," Mercy said.

********************MT********************

Lila knocked on Jesse's door before she opened it and stepped inside. "Just came to check on everything," she said with a faint smile.

"Hi mommy, we're coloring," Kami said with a happy grin.

"I see that mo stoirin," Lila replied.

"What does that mean, mo stoirin?" Jesse asked.

"It means my little darling," Lila replied. "My mam used to call me a stor, which means my treasure," she added.

"Cool. I like learning new words," Jesse said. "I don't mind keeping an eye on her a little longer if you need to go out," she added.

"Thank you. I... think I might go get some fresh air," Lila said and slipped out. She'd all but forgotten what it was like to be able to shift and run just for the feel of it but she wasn't sure where it was safe to do that. She went back down to the basement and approached Warren. She'd already figured out he wasn't straight from the scent that clung to him and she felt a little safer talking to him as a result. "If I wanted to... go running, where would it be best to do that?" she asked.

"Well, that depends on if you want a short run or a long one. There's a reason Adam built his house way out here, you can shift and go for a good run from right here," he told her.

"Really? It's been so long since I've been able to run **just** for the freedom of it."

"Then I think you're long overdue," he replied.

"Would you like some company on your run?" Luna asked.

"I'd... like that," Lila admitted.

Ben, Warren, and a few others joined them. They weren't gone for hours, although Lila felt like she could run for hours, because she had to get back to Kami and everyone else had work in the morning. Lila was still combing the classifieds, there just weren't that many jobs in their area for a graphics design major.

By the time they got back and she'd shifted back to human form, Lila was positively glowing with the joy of the run. She went to Jesse's room and found Kami curled up asleep on Jesse's bed.

"She took a bath while you were gone, had dinner, then got sleepy," Jesse said.

"Thank you, Jesse. You're really sweet," Lila said.

"It's no problem, she's adorable," Jesse replied.

Lila picked her daughter up and took her to the suite they were using. She tucked her into bed, took a quick shower and then watched Kami sleep. It was times like this that she missed Robert. Sometimes she wondered how she could do this alone but she didn't have a choice. She turned the light off and crawled into bed to curl around her daughter. Already things felt better, happier, but how long would it last?

********************MT********************

********************MT********************

*The ceremony to sever the bond is something I made up but anyone who wants to 'borrow' it feel free to do so. A little credit would be nice but it's not necessary.

* Mo stoirin is pronounced Mu Store-een

* A stor is pronounced Uh Stohr


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

"Mommy, mommy, wake up!"

Lila awoke to her daughter bouncing on the bed. "Good morning mo stoirin. What has you in such a bouncy mood this morning?" she asked and tickled her side.

Kami giggled and squirmed. "Something smells yummy mommy," she said through her laughter.

Lila took a deep breath, although she'd already smelled it the second she awoke. "So it does. Hmm.. should we go see what it is?" she asked as if really debating it.

"Yes!" Kami said, bouncing again.

Lila laughed. "Alright but we have to get out of our jammies first," she said. She smiled as he daughter squirmed off the bed and went to the dresser where her clothes were. She always let Kami pick out her own clothes and that morning it seemed she was feeling frilly. She picked out a long, frilly skirt in dark purple, and Lila watched as she debated long and hard about what shirt she wanted. She went with a white lacy top that had purple polka dots. Purple was her daughter's favorite color. The outfit was completed with her favorite shoes; a pair of sandals that Lila knew she was going to have to replace soon because the straps were ready to break. She watched as Kami twirled and laughed at the way the skirt moved around her.

Hearing her happy, almost bubbly laughter made Lila feel like crying. Her little girl hadn't had much reason to laugh like that the last two years but it was clear to her that Kami **knew** they were finally someplace safe and it was okay to be happy. She put her daughter's hair in pigtail braids, with little purple bows on the ends, then got dressed herself in a pair of worn jeans and a t-shirt. She took Kami's hand as they left the guest suite and headed to the kitchen and tried to not tense up when she heard voices before they reached it. There were a lot of people in the house and she knew they would be werewolves. She kept repeating 'They're not like your old pack' over and over in her head to keep her from wanting to bolt.

********************MT********************

Warren had informed his mate of the new pack member and her daughter the night before and Kyle simply **had** to come to Sunday breakfast. He didn't always make it, especially if he was in the middle of a nasty divorce case, like now, but he adored children and had to meet the little girl.

"Good morning, Miss Lila," Warren said when she and Kami entered the kitchen. "How are you doing this morning, little lady?" he added to Kami.

Kami giggled at being called 'little lady'. "I'm hungry," she said with a grin and the honesty that all young children had. An honesty the world tried damn hard to strip them of.

Warren went to her, picked her up, and deposited her in the chair he'd just gotten up from, putting her next to Kyle. "Well then, let's get you something to eat, little lady. That outfit is quite something," he told her.

Kami smiled happily. "I picked it out, mommy always lets me pick out my own clothes," she said proudly.

"Well you did a fine job," Warren said with a wink before he turned his attention to Lila. "This is my mate, Kyle. Kyle, Miss Lila and her daughter, Kami," he said, making introductions.

"Oh my god, you were right. She is the cutest thing **ever** ," Kyle said before he turned his attention to Lila. "Welcome to the pack, Lila. I know I'm not a wolf, but being Warren's mate makes me pack, sort of, or so I'm told. So welcome. You're daughter is absolutely precious," he told her. "Here, please, have my seat," he added and moved so she could sit.

Kami sat there swinging her legs back and forth until a plate of pancakes was put in front of her and she dug in.

"Thank you," Lila said as she sat. "I think so too. She's the one thing that has kept me going even when I didn't really want to," she admitted.

"I can understand that," Kyle said. He watched Kami eat with exuberance and made a mental note of the condition of her clothes. While they were clean and well cared for, it was clear she'd worn them enough that they showed wear. Warren had mentioned his concern for the two of them, because he'd watched as Lila packed their meager belongings with the scent of shame clinging to her. After a glance in Lila's direction he knew her clothes were in even worse condition. He was certain she spent whatever extra money she managed to come by on things for Kami while denying herself even some of the basic necessities. "Lila, honey, you need to let us take you and your little pixie shopping. Now, before you try to argue, hear me out. I am one of the best divorce lawyers in this state," he told her. "In the country," Warren said and Kyle smiled at him before he continued. "So I can definitely afford it. Warren won't let me spoil him so I have all this money and no one to spend it on. Except our fair Luna, whom I have decided is my sister even if we aren't really related. You and your little pixie deserve some pampering," he said firmly.

"What did I tell you?" Ben said as he and Luna came into the kitchen to rinse off their plates. They'd eaten in the dining room because there wasn't enough room in the kitchen for everyone. "I said I'd give it two minutes minutes for Kyle to be wrapped around Kami's little finger. Did I call it or what?" he added.

Luna laughed softly. "Yes, you did," she replied.

Kyle moved to Lila and put a hand on her shoulder, ignoring Ben's comment. "You've had to sacrifice so much, you've had to deny yourself things you needed just to take care of your little girl. Let us do this for you, honey," he said gently.

Lila started to politely decline because experience said no one did anything for free. Then she looked at her daughter's worn clothes and sandals, thought about how threadbare all of her things were getting, and looked up into Kyle's compassionate eyes, and knew the offer was one with no strings attached. "Okay," she finally said.

"Wonderful. We'll go after you've had your breakfast," Kyle said and finished his coffee.

********************MT********************

Lila, darlin, you have unleashed a monster," Warren said several hours later. They were at the mall and there wasn't a store in the massive building they hadn't hit. Not even the electronics stores were skipped.

"I had no idea when he said shopping he meant... this," Lila replied, a bit stunned by the over abundance of purchases. Several trips had already been made to drop bags off at his car but there was no more room in its trunk and they were now waiting for Ben to arrive in Warren's truck so they had somewhere to put the rest of their purchases.

"My mate never does anything by half measures," Warren replied. "I reckon I should have warned you but I didn't think he'd go this overboard." He studied her. "It's that little girl of yours, I think. I hope you don't mind, I shared some of what you told us with him, because he could tell I was troubled by something. I didn't give him any embarrassing details, just told him about all the moving around, and how you didn't have much as a result. It made him want to do something to make up for it even though it had nothing to do with any of us. That's Kyle's way. His clients are almost always women with children trying to get out of a bad marriage. We have a couple of rooms in the house that are decorated for children because sometimes they stay with us, for safety. He just gets this protective streak when children are involved. Sometimes I think it's partly because, even though he comes from a very well-to-do family, there isn't a lot of closeness in his family. His folks were too caught up in their careers and left the brunt of his and his sister's upbringing to nannies. I think it makes him want to give other kids a chance to have happiness in their own lives."

"Your mate is a good man, Warren, and so filled with compassion. I'm not upset, in the least. I'm more... dumbfounded, really. No one has ever gone out of their way so much, not since my mam passed on."

Warren put an arm over her shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss, darlin. It sounds like you're still dealing with it."

Lila sighed. "I suppose I am. I was eighteen and I'd just moved to the US for college. Mam knew she was dying, but she wanted me to chase my dreams, so when I told her I wanted to apply for the exchange student program, she supported it. She told me 'Follow your heart wherever it leads you, even if it's to the dark side of the moon, a stor', and I did. She knew if I found out too soon I wouldn't leave so she waited until I couldn't back out to tell me. She died six months after I came to the states. My da, he died when I was really little, it was just mam and me, I had no family, no home, to go back to. I lost everything, every memento from my childhood, because at the time of her death I didn't have the funds to hop on a plane and fly back home. I think a large part of why I didn't run, after you saw me at IHOP, when all my instincts said to get away, was because I didn't want Kami to lose anymore of her childhood by constantly being on the move."

Warren gave her a gentle hug. "Your mother would be mighty proud of the woman you are."

"I don't know. I have a degree in graphics design but I'm not doing anything with it. I had a child out of wedlock and I whored myself out to keep her fed. I don't know that she'd be proud of that."

Warren growled. "She'd be proud of the strong, intelligent, determined woman you've become, Lila. You've been through things that would have broken a weaker person. You came here to the US without having anyone to turn to if you needed help and you have fought to do all you could to protect your daughter. You have nothing to be ashamed of, darlin."

Lila blinked at him and blushed a little then smiled. "Thanks, Warren." He was sweet for saying all that and maybe he was right, but she still felt ashamed of some of the things she'd done to survive.

Bloody hell."

Lila was pulled from her thoughts by Ben's voice. She saw Luna pulling in behind him in his truck.

"What did Kyle do, buy out the entire mall?" Ben asked.

"Seems like it, doesn't it?" Warren replied.

Kyle, who was twirling Kami around just to make her laugh, gave his mate a pouty look. "At least someone finally let me spoil them."

"You spoil me in other ways," Warren said, heat in his eyes.

Kyle preened at that.

"Get a room, you two," Ben said jokingly.

They got everything loaded into Warren's truck and after giving Warren a quick kiss Kyle went to the passenger side door of his car and held it for Lila, who was just finishing getting Kami secured in her booster seat. Warren would follow in the truck. Once they were on the way Kyle glanced over at her. "How is the job search going? No, I wasn't told you were looking but I know you haven't been here long so it's logical to assume you haven't found gainful employment yet."

Lila sighed. "Not well. I have a degree in graphics design but there's not much of a need for that here, not that I have found anyway."

"Well, what have you done work wise, in the past?" he asked curiously. Maybe he was fishing for information so he could try to help her find work, but he couldn't help wanting to help her and her daughter. There was a reason he was a divorce attorney who's clients were mostly women with children.

"Well, just like everyone I did the fast food route, briefly, but only briefly. I put myself through college while working as first an office aid and then receptionist at a small law firm in Bangor."

"Really? I'm sure with office experience like that, if you send out resumes for something in that field, you'll be hired in no time." He looked over at her and flashed a grin. "Or I could save you that step. One of our office assistants is leaving in a couple of weeks. Her husband is military and he's being relocated to a base on the east coast. You'll still have to send in a resume but the position hasn't been posted anywhere yet, so you'll have the first crack at it. Now, if I had my way I'd just offer it to you right now but our hiring manager is a stickler for the rules."

Lila stared at him. "You're serious? I haven't had any stable, or verifiable, work in two years."

"Would your former employer have reason to speak poorly of you?" he countered.

"No, I worked with them until just before the attack, I'd worked out a notice because I decided I wanted to be home with Kami, and they were sad to see me go."

"Then no worries, Lila honey. I'll give you my card before we leave so you can submit your resume." He knew if she got a glowing referral from her former boss she'd get the job because that would impress their hiring manager more than anything.

Lila nodded. "Okay. Besides, what do I have to lose, right?" she asked.

"That's the spirit," Kyle said with a laugh.

They got back to the house and it took a while to get everything put away. Kami pranced around in the purple tutu Kyle got her because she'd squealed over it having sparkles on it. When she finally started winding down Lila tried to get her out of the tutu but Kami wanted to take a nap in it. "Alright mo stoirin. I have to work on something so I can get a job and us into our own place, so if you wake up early I'll be right down the hall, in the dining room."

"Okay mommy," Kami said with a yawn. "Love you."

"I love you too," Lila said softly. She watched her as she drifted off to sleep. Again she wished Robert was there to see how big their little girl was getting. Wishing for something that could never happen, though, wasn't going to do her any good. She pushed the depressing thought away and went to the dining room to work on her resume.

When Kyle found out she'd had to sell her laptop a few months after leaving Maine he'd insisted on getting her a new one while they were out shopping. She let it run all of its updates, writing her resume out on paper first, and when the computer was ready to be used she typed it all up.

"Hello, Lila, how is the resume going?" Adam asked from the archway leading from the dining room into the kitchen.

"It's done but I would really like a second opinion on it, if you don't mind looking at it. I haven't done one of these in a while."

"I don't mind at all," Adam said and sat to read it over. "It looks good. The only change I would make is here," and he pointed to a gap in her employment history. "Instead of having a gap there, I would put that you've been a caregiver during that time. When asked about it, explain that you were caring for your young child who now has 24 hour child care and will not interfere with work."

Lila frowned. "But I don't have 24 hour child care," she said.

"Yes, you do. You're pack, Lila, and we take care of our own." Adam kissed the top of her head as if she were a child.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I guess I'm still just so used to the way it was in my old pack, where no one looked out for anyone but themselves."

Adam fought down a growl. "I know. Something tells me it's not like that now, with the leadership change. But it doesn't matter, we will help you in every way we can."

********************MT********************

By the time Kami woke up from her nap Lila was sitting in the chair near the bed. When Kami crawled into her lap Lila cuddled her and sang softly for several minutes.

"Why are you sad mommy?" Kami asked because she could tell her mother had been crying.

"I'm not sad, these are good tears," Lila replied and hugged her close. "I was thinking, we should go to the zoo tomorrow," she said.

"Really? Can we mommy?" Kami asked.

"Of course we can." She had the money she'd gotten the last night at the motel and her daughter deserved to have a little fun. She would have to start thinking about what to do for her birthday soon, too. Hopefully she would have a stable income and they would be in their own place by then.

"Thank you mommy," Kami said happily.

Lila smiled warmly at her daughter and was glad she'd decided to take her out for a day of fun. "You're welcome mo stoirin. I would move heaven and earth to make you happy," she said and though her daughter didn't know it, Lila meant every word. She would do whatever it took to make her little girl happy.


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

As soon as breakfast was eaten they headed to the zoo. The air was crisp and cool, it was early February in Washington, but the weather didn't seem to phase Kami's excitement in the least. Lila laughed at the way her daughter dashed from one exhibit to another squealing over all the different animals. Kami was fascinated by the reptile house. She'd never even **seen** some of the reptiles they had in it before. Her favorite part, it seemed, was the petting zoo. She went back to it multiple times.

Lila got a wealth of video on the new cellphone Kyle insisted on paying for until she could afford the monthly payments herself. She knew she was going to have to share the video with at least Kyle, Warren, and Mercy. Probably a few others as well. The pack adored Kami and whereas Lila had worried about her daughter's safety in her old pack, she **knew** Kami was safe here. They stopped on the way back to the house for lunch and once there Kami took a bath and Lila tucked her in for a much needed nap.

Twenty minutes after she put Kami down for her nap, Lila's phone vibrated to inform her someone was calling. She stepped out of the room to answer it so she wouldn't disturb her daughter. "Hello?"

"Hello, may I speak with Lila O'Connell, please," a pleasant voice said on the other end.

"This is she," Lila replied.

"Ms. O'Connell, I'm calling from the Law Firm of Randolf, Searing, and Brooks in regards to the resume you sent in. I would very much like to discuss the possibility of offering you a position here."

Lila blinked. Randolf, Searing, and Brooks? She'd had no idea Kyle was a **partner** at the law firm. "I would like that. I'm available any time," she replied.

"Wonderful. How's tomorrow at eight?"

"I'll be there," Lila promised.

"When you come in, just ask for Jennifer Miller. I look forward to speaking with you, Ms. O'Connell," the woman said and hung up.

Lila stared at her phone. She had an interview. An honest to gods interview. The woman sounded very... impressed on the phone, had they already spoken with her former employer back in Bangor? She knew she'd get a glowing referral from them. Lila stepped back into the room and watched her daughter sleep. "Soon mommy will be able to give you all the things you want," she said softly. She stretched out on the bed and watched Kami sleep for a bit then drifted off for a little nap herself.

********************MT********************

Later that evening Lila and Kami were at Warren's and Kyle's having dinner. "I hear someone has an interview tomorrow," Kyle said and flashed a grin.

Lila laughed. "Yeah, I do. I didn't know you were a partner at the firm," she replied.

"Recent change, I keep forgetting it myself," he admitted. "Don't be nervous about it, Lila. Jen was really impressed by the referral your old boss gave. Her exact words were 'According to him, we'd be fools **not** to hire her. You don't hear that often, especially in this field, so by damn I'm calling her even if the position isn't open yet'. She's going to adore you, don't worry."

Lila actually blushed at that. "Thank you, Kyle," she said then glanced at her daughter a moment. "So, for a change of subject, I took Miss Kami to the zoo today."

That was all the opening the little girl needed. She started talking about all the animals she saw and how her 'favoritest' part was when she got to feed and pet some of them. "And in the reptile house they have this snake that's bigger around than **me** ," she said in awe of the snake's size.

"That's an awfully little snake," Warren teased which made Kami giggle. "Nuh uh! I'm not little!"

"Please tell me you took video of everything," Kyle interjected.

"Of course I did," Lila replied and she played the video for them. There was a lot of laughter over Kami's squeals.

"Mommy let me get my very own baby tiger," Kami said with a happy grin. "It's white and black and it's **sooooo** soft."

"It's a white Bengal plushie," Lila explained.

"We didn't think you gave her a real one, darlin," Warren teased. "Miss Lila, I have something I'd like to talk to you about. You're no doubt going to get the job tomorrow, and I know you want to find a place for you and your little pixie there. I have the perfect solution. When I moved in here with Kyle I kept my townhouse in case we ever had a pack member who needed a place to stay, or Kyle and I had to be out of the house for some reason. I'd like to offer it to you. I'll let you pay rent, if you insist on it, but it won't be anything like what others would charge."

Lila stared at him. "Are you serious?" she asked. "That... it would make things much easier."

"Of course I'm serious. You can make any changes you want to make it yours. If you want to paint the little pixie's room, you just say the word and we'll help get it done."

"Is this how a pack is supposed to be?" she asked softly and there were tears in her eyes. "I had no idea... thank you, Warren. This means... maybe more than you realize."

"You're welcome, Lila." She and her daughter had been through so much, it was time for something good to happen to them.

********************MT********************

The following morning, after dropping Kami off at Honey's, who was playing sitter for the day, Lila headed over to the Law Firm of Randolf, Searing, and Brooks to meet with the hiring manager, Jennifer Miller. She was nervous but she was also excited about the prospect. It would feel so good to have a **real** job again.

"Good morning. Welcome to Randolf, Searing, and Brooks. How may I help you?" the receptionist said in a warm, cheery voice.

"Good morning My name is Lila O'Connell. I'm here to see Jennifer Miller," Lila replied.

"Please, have a seat. I'll call her and let her know you're here." She was ten minutes early, that would impress the hiring manager. She liked, respected, and expected promptness.

Lila was only seated a few minutes when a woman approached. Though she was dressed professionally, her short pixie-cut hair framed her oval face and Lila could almost imagine the other woman strutting down the street in a pair of clunky boots with a funky bag slung over her shoulder. "You must be Lila. I'm Jen. If you'll follow me, I'll give you a quick tour before we talk."

"It's nice to meet you," Lila said and after they shook hands she followed the other woman. The firm was fairly large and she was introduced to several people along the way to Jen's office.

"Don't worry about trying to remember all their names right away. You'll get it in time," Jen told her as she moved to her desk and motioned to the pair of chairs opposite her.

Lila frowned a bit in confusion. "Why will I get it in time?" she asked.

Jen waited until they were both sitting before she responded. "I'm going to be frank with you, Lila. Your former boss spoke very highly of you. I've worked in this field for over twenty years and one of the many things I've learned is that lawyers are **very** hard to please. The fact that your old boss had nothing but good things to say about you was very impressive. When I suggested an eight A.M. meeting you didn't hesitate to accept that time, and then you were early. I am not interviewing you so much as offering you the position. We provide excellent benefits, paid vacation, personal days off, and a competitive salary. So, when can you start?"

Lila stared at her for several seconds. "How's tomorrow sound?" she asked.

Jen laughed. "Oh, you are going to fit right in. I'll introduce you to Maggie, she's the one you'll be replacing. She can show you the ropes, so to speak, so when she leaves you'll be ready to fly solo."

********************MT********************

Once again Lila and Kami were having dinner with Kyle and Warren. They did that often because Lila didn't want to intrude on Hauptman family time. She was quiet about the job just because she was feeling mischievous.

"Lila, darlin, you're being awfully quiet," Warren said, watching her. "We know you had the interview, so what happened?"

Lila gave him a thoughtful look then burst into a huge grin. "I didn't have an interview so much as go in, meet my co-workers, and fill out paperwork."

"I knew you'd get it," Kyle said smugly.

Warren laughed. "That's great news, Lila. How's it feel to be a working woman again?"

"Amazing. I'll be able to give Kami a better life and we'll be in our own place in time for her birthday."

Kyle perked up at that and turned to Kami. "How old are you going to be on your birthday, little pixie?"

Kami giggled at being called 'little pixie'. "Five. Mommy says I get to go to school after summer comes. I can't wait!"

"Five? My goodness, you're getting to be such a big girl," Kyle replied, which made the little girl grin from ear to ear. "Lila, please say you'll let me help with her party," he said and gave her puppy dog eyes.

Lila laughed, she couldn't help it. "Alright Kyle, I'll let you help."

He preened. "Wonderful," he said and was already making plans in his head.

After dinner, which included a decadent chocolate dessert, Lila took Kami back to Mercy's and Adam's, got her bathed, and then tucked into bed. She spent a bit of time picking out her attire for her first day of work then followed her daughter in slumber.

********************MT********************

Riley Griffin wasn't an **old** wolf, but he was older than most of the werewolves he knew. In the pack he'd left behind in Philly, he'd been one of the oldest. If he'd stayed he probably would have eventually challenged their pack's third for his position. But work took him from Philly before he could. He worked in IT Security, their company had offices in several states, including Washington. When they needed someone to head up a new department at the office in Washington state, Riley was offered the position and he took it.

There were two packs in Washington; the Emerald City Pack in Seattle and the Columbia Basin Pack in the Tri-Cities. As luck would have it the office was situated exactly halfway between them. He'd debated on it before deciding the best way to choose between the two packs was to meet with each of the Alphas. Even if he hit if off immediately with the first Alpha he would still meet the other one before deciding. It would be rude to ask for a meeting and then not show up and Riley might be a lot of things, but rude wasn't one of them.

The meeting with the Emerald City Pack's Alpha had gone well enough. Angus Hooper seemed like a good Alpha, but Riley still wanted to meet Adam Hauptman first. He knew of Hauptman's reputation, he'd been the target of rogue government agents in recent years and he managed to keep almost all of his pack safe. He was the fourth most Dominant wolf in North America, and since there were over three thousand wolves, that was saying a lot. The man's determination to protect his own made Riley want to meet with him if for no other reason than to get the chance to do so.

It was late Sunday morning and the drive down to Finley was pleasant. Sure, it was chilly out, with it being late winter, but he was from upstate New Jersey, originally, and Philadelphia most recently, this was nothing compared to the kind of cold they got. The GPS in his SUV took him right to Huaptman's residence and Riley took a moment to admire the size of the house as well as the seclusion of the property. The size of the house suggested the pack was welcome there anytime, and he already knew Hauptman cared about the safety of his pack, so the seclusion showed his desire for privacy, for all of them. Not all Alpha's gave their pack that much thought. Some could be downright selfish.

He pulled up to the house and cocked a brow at the amount of cars already there. It appeared the pack was gathered but was it because of him or something else? No way of knowing the answer to that while he sat there behind the wheel. With a shrug he climbed out of his SUV and headed for the door.

********************MT********************

Mercy was headed to the kitchen when she heard an unfamiliar vehicle pull up outside. She knew they had a potentially new pack member coming to talk with Adam but they'd expected him later in the day. She glanced out one of the large windows in the living room before she went to the door. With all the trouble they'd had over the last few years, well, it didn't hurt to be cautious. "Can I help you?" she asked as she opened the door and caught the familiar scent of mint and musk. Definitely werewolf.

Riley wasn't expecting the small, dark-haired woman at the door. "I'm looking for the Hauptman residence," he said in case his GPS took him to the wrong place.

"You've found it. Come on it. I'm Mercy Hauptman, Adam's wife and mate. You must be Riley Griffin," she replied and stepped back.

Riley stepped inside and caught her scent. "I heard a rumor Hauptman had taken a coyote shifter for his mate. I see it's not just a rumor."

Mercy gave him a look. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Riley shook his head. "Nah. Not my business who someone else sleeps with."

Mercy relaxed. "Good. Our third is gay and his mate is human, so if you had issues, well, it might not make this the best place for you."

"I had a brother who was gay. Like I said, not my business and I won't stick my nose in unless someone's being hurt, against their will."

"Had a brother?" Mercy asked.

"Yeah, he was killed in the seventies, along with a couple of others, for being gay. You'd think we'd have come further than we have in the way we treat others, but hatred seems to have no end."

"I think I like you, Riley," Mercy said with a laugh. "You picked a really good time to show up. Every Sunday the pack, whoever is free, comes over for Sunday Breakfast. Our pack's second, Darryl, usually does the cooking and it's delicious."

"That explains all the cars and why it smells so good in here," he said as Mercy led him towards the kitchen.

Adam met them in the hall. He'd heard the man come in and wanted to know his real reaction to Mercy, so he'd stayed well out of sight. Wolves and coyotes were natural enemies and if Riley had had an issue with her he wouldn't have been welcome. "You must be Riley. Welcome. I'm Adam Hauptman," he said and offered his hand.

Riley took it, met his eyes briefly, then broke eye contact. "It's nice to meet you. You should know, I've already met with the Alpha of the Emerald City Pack. He sees to be a decent Alpha."

"He is. Angus is a good man, he cares about his wolves. Have you eaten yet? We can talk business later," Adam replied.

"I did, but I could eat again," Riley said with a smirk.

"Werewolves," Mercy said and rolled her eyes.

"You love us and you know it," Adam growled at her.

Mercy waved him off. "I'm going to go see if Jesse needs any help with her homework."

********************MT********************

Lila was sitting at the kitchen table with Kami when she heard an unfamiliar voice in the hall. Her first instinct was to grab Kami and take her home, now that she and Kami lived in the townhouse owned by Warren. But she pushed that urge down. Her Alpha would never bring a wolf who was a danger into the pack. When he followed Adam into the kitchen she was startled by a pair of gray eyes that seemed oddly fitting for him. His warm caramel skin was complimented by the paleness of his eyes and looking at his hair, she couldn't help but wonder how long it took to get it into all those little braids. They hung halfway down his back. When she realized she was staring she felt her cheeks warm and quickly looked away.

********************MT********************

Riley followed Adam into the kitchen and was struck by the sight of a red-haired, pale skinned beauty sitting at the table. There was a little girl next to her, clearly her child, and at first Riley assumed she was someone's human mate. Then he was close enough to catch her scent. Mint, musk, and cinnamon. Werewolf. Her change must have happened after she'd had her daughter. It was only after he tore his gaze from her that he realized there were several other people in the kitchen as well.

"Everyone, this is Riley Griffin," Adam said. "Riley, this is our third, Warren, and his mate Kyle. That's Ben and Luna, Mary Jo, and Lila and her daughter Kami." They all said hello as Darryl entered the kitchen. "And this is our second, Darryl," Adam added.

"So, you're the new wolf, or possibly new one," Ben said. "You're in IT right? We seem to have a lot of It and security people in this pack. Wonder why that is."

"Just lucky," Warren drawled. "We've heard good things from your old Alpha. If you decide to stick around, I for one, think you'd be a good fit. But for now, Kyle and I are heading out," he said and escorted his mate towards the front of the house. They were spending one last day together before Warren potentially lost him to a failed change. "Luna, Ben, see you tomorrow," he added and left.

"Bloody hell, I hope things don't go to sh.. crap tomorrow," Ben said under his breath.

"Did I come at a bad time?" Riley asked.

"No, you've not come at a bad time. Kyle has decided he wants to try to become a wolf. He knows the risks and he's willing to face them," Adam informed him. "It's going to happen tomorrow, which has things stressed between them."

"Ouch. I can't imagine how rough this must be for your third," Riley replied. "I hope it goes well for them."

"That makes two of us," Ben said. "Especially since I'm the one doing it," he added. "See, Adam is Warren's best friend, so me doing it means that, if things go bad, he won't lose both his mate and his best friend all in one fell swoop."

Luna put her arms around her mate. "We're prepared for whatever happens though," she said. They already had it set up for them to join the Emerald City Pack if Kyle didn't survive because with Ben's work, moving away from that area completely wasn't an option.

"Now that they've delivered the doom and gloom, would you like something to eat? Or some coffee?" Lila asked, deciding to end the conversation **before** Kami figured out what they were talking about. Her daughter adored Kyle, she did **not** want Kami getting upset when there was no telling how things would turn out.

"Both sound good to me, thanks," Riley said and took an empty seat. "Hello, little one," he said to Kami and was rewarded with a shy grin.

"Hi," she said shyly. "You gots pretty braids."

Riley laughed. "Thanks. Keeps all this hair under control. Otherwise it would be out to here," he said and held his hands out about a foot from his head.

Kami giggled at that before she turned to her mother. "Mommy, I'm full. May I go see Jesse now?" she asked.

"Of course mo storin," Lila replied and watched her daughter skip out of the kitchen.

"She's adorable," Riley said once she was gone.

"Thank you. She's my entire world," Lila admitted. "She's kept me going when nothing else could."

"How's the new job, Lila?" Luna asked to distract the other woman from the dark thoughts she knew Lila was having.

"It's going really well. It's nice to have a steady paycheck again," Lila admitted.

"I can imagine," Luna said softly."Oh, Lila, you know Kyle will want to throw Kami's party at his and Warren's house, right? I know, I know, that's provided all goes well tomorrow, but I'm not going to be negative. I'm going to be positive and think it'll be fine. I refuse to think of Kyle not being here anymore."

"That's the only way to look at this and stay sane, or keep from curling up in a ball and crying," Mercy said. She'd come in on the end of their conversation. "I'm not going to think like that either. Let's be optimistic. I know, it's a stretch for me," she joked. " **Something** good has to happen, we've had enough bad already."

"Amen to that," Ben said.

The conversation faded then and soon Riley was in Adam's office discussing the pack and what would be expected if he joined it. "Do not make a snap decision," Adam said to him. At the look Riley gave him he smirked. "I saw the way you looked at Lila. Attraction isn't a good enough reason to join a pack. You need to be sure it'll be a good fit for you. Think it over tonight and let me know what you decide tomorrow."

"I can do that," Riley replied and left to go back to his hotel. He already knew he wanted to stay but he'd do as Hauptman asked.

********************MT********************

"Mommy? Who was that man with the pretty braids?" Kami asked that night as her mother was tucking her into bed.

"His name is Riley and he might be a new friend," Lila replied. "Goodnight mo storin," she said and kissed her daughter's forehead. She sang softly to her until she was asleep and then went to her own room and got ready for bed. As she drifted off to sleep she found herself thinking about a pair of gray eyes and part of her really hoped he decided to join their pack.


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

 **A/N:** **WARNING**. Later in this chapter, there is a somewhat explicit rape scene. I struggled with my muse, once again, where this subject is concerned because as a rape survivor I know scenes like that can be triggers. I will warn readers just ahead of that scene should anyone want to skip that part. Also, I tried to figure out where I could cut this chapter up into two instead of one, because of the length, and it just didn't flow well enough for that so this chapter is long, my longest to date for any of my Mercy Thompson/Alpha and Omega stories.

********************MT********************

Adam really wasn't all that surprised when Riley showed up at his door the next morning. The man was determined, it was a good quality in Adam's book. "Come in, Riley. Am I to take this morning visit to mean you've made your decision?"

"Good morning, sir. Yes, I have. Adam Hauptman, Alpha of the Columbia Basin Pack, I, Riley Jasper Griffin, officially request permission to join your pack."

"Request granted. This afternoon we will be overseeing the possible change of the pack's third's mate, do you want to wait until that is settled before you join?"

Riley shook his head. "No sir. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to get it done before that, if possible."

"I'll have Darryl come a little earlier than planned and get it taken care of then," Adam told him. "Warren and Kyle will be here at two so come back by one," he added.

"Yes sir, I'll be here," Riley said and left.

Adam sent word to the pack, via Ben, as he was the one responsible for the email list. He didn't want the pack caught off guard by the joining when so many were already on edge over their third potentially losing his mate later that same day.

"So, he's decided to stay?" Mercy asked once Riley was gone.

"He has. I think part of the decision is due to his attraction towards Lila, but the decision is made. I think he'll be a good fit."

Mercy leaned against him. "You wouldn't let him in the pack otherwise," she pointed out.

********************MT********************

Lila was watching her daughter eat breakfast when she got the message about Riley. So he'd decided to stay after all. She shook her head at herself. She didn't have anything to offer a man like him, especially not after some of the things she'd done. He needed a lady, not a whore.

"What's wrong mommy?"

Lila blinked at the question. Of course her daughter would see her shaking her head and wonder why she did it. "I'm just thinking about some grownup stuff. Would you like to go see Jesse today?"

"Yes!" Kami said and squealed. She idolized Adam's daughter.

"Finish your breakfast then," Lila told her. She ate her own larger breakfast, got the dishes taken care of, then they dressed and headed out.

********************MT********************

Riley hadn't expected the little redhead to be there for his joining yet there she was. He noticed she stood off a bit by herself and found himself wondering about her. Why was she distant from the pack? She was a puzzle and he'd always liked figuring puzzles out. "Hello again," he said to her.

Lila met his gaze a moment then looked away. Hello. I see you decided to stay."

"Yeah. Hauptman's a good man, a good Alpha, from all I've heard about him. I figure this would be a good fit for me."

"He **is** a good Alpha," she agreed.

There was something in her voice that caught his attention. Did she have issues with an old Alpha? He wouldn't pry, especially right now, but he made a mental not to try to find out.

"I give him two weeks and he'll be challenging those above him to move up in the pack," Honey said once Riley moved away from Lila.

Lila smiled a little. "You're probably right." She glanced at Honey. "How do you stand on female wolves being at the bottom of the pack, no matter their own personal dominance, if they're unmated, or taking their rank from their mates?" She already knew Mary Jo and Aurielle weren't happy about it.

"I'm fine with it but I'm... some would say pampered. I prefer to think of myself as a lady. But I can see why some would oppose it. How do you stand on it?" Honey asked.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. I can understand the frustration of having to defer to someone who is less dominant than you just because you don't have a mate, but at the same time I wouldn't want to have to start fighting for position in the pack either."

"Smart woman," Honey replied. "Let the men fight if they must. That was one of the many things I love about Peter being a submissive wolf. He didn't feel the urge to fight all the time. It... kept him safe from other wolves but I still wonder if that was the sole reason he was killed. He was the Heart of the Pack, those damn humans knew so much about us... maybe they thought it would break Adam's spirit."

Lila had been told about Honey's mate and how he'd died. "It's possible, as awful as that is to imagine. I'm so sorry, I know it was a while ago, but I'm still so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine how hard this has been for you."

"Thank you, Lila. Some days are harder than others. I miss him every day though," Honey said quietly. When the ceremony began they both fell silent.

Lila hung back for a moment while the others welcomed Riley to the pack. She didn't want to look too eager, hell she was still trying to convince herself to stay away from him. "Welcome to the pack," she said when she finally approached

"I was beginning to wonder if I'd get a welcome from you. Thanks, doll," Riley replied. "Er, I hope I didn't offend you with that," he added quickly.

"No, no offense taken. I need to go check on my daughter before Warren and Kyle arrive," Lila said and beat a hasty retreat.

Riley watched her go with a slight frown.

"Something wrong?" Mercy asked at the frown on his face.

"Just trying to figure her out. One minute she's friendly and talkative, the next she's running for the hills."

"It's not my place to tell you her story, that's Lila's to tell, but I will tell you she's had a difficult time the last couple of years. There was trouble in her old pack and she was on the run until Warren ran across her and Kami a little while ago and we took her in. If you're genuinely interested in her, I don't think it's going to be easy to get past the walls she's built to protect herself."

"My mama always said when I set my mind on something I was like a pit bull, I didn't give up. She was right, I don't. I can't explain why I'm so damned intrigued by her, but if she's got walls I'll figure out a way to climb 'em or tear 'em down," Riley replied.

"I think I'll just sit back and enjoy the fireworks," Mercy said with a laugh.

Not long after that Warren and Kyle arrived and what transpired was... painful to see. Still, Lila watched. If Warren could watch his mate be savaged then by Goddess she could watch too. She respected both Warren and Kyle too much to look away like a coward. When it was done she wanted to stay but she needed to get her daughter home in case, well, in case Warren lost Kyle because Kami didn't need to be around for that kind of reaction. "Mercy? Will you let me know what happens? I need to get Kami home," she said as she approached the other woman.

"Sure Lila. That's smart thinking. She really shouldn't be here if... I don't even want to think about that possibility," Mercy replied.

Riley overheard them and was waiting when Lila came back downstairs from going to get Kami from Jesse's room. "I hear you're heading out. I was going to grab a bite to eat, would you and your little angel there like to join me?"

"I'm not an angel, I'm a pixie!" Kami corrected him.

"My apologies," Riley said and bowed at her. "Would you and your little pixie like to join me?" he said and smirked at the grin Kami gave him. She was so damn adorable.

"I.. don't know, Riley," Lila said after a moment.

Riley cocked his head to the side a bit, which got a soft giggle from Kami. "You have to eat, right? Where is the harm in two friends having dinner?" he asked.

She wanted to argue with him but it would sound silly. "Alright, alright, dinner sounds good," she finally agreed.

"You pick the place, and if it'll make you more comfortable, I'll just follow you," Riley told her.

"That would be best, so I can get Kami home after we eat."

"Alright, lead the way, doll," he said and moved to open the door for them.

Lila slid past him and couldn't stop her wolf from breathing in his scent. Or, rather, she couldn't stop herself from doing so. She could blame it on her wolf all she wanted, but **she** was attracted to the man. He was strong, dominant, confident, all qualities she liked. Spending time with him was dangerous but she'd already said yes, she couldn't back out now without looking like a coward. So, she was stuck. Not that she was **entirely** bothered by that notion.

Lila drove to a little diner she knew her daughter would find something she liked to eat. Sure, Lila might like a different cuisine from time to time, Italian was one of her favorites, but when you had a five year old burgers and fries became a main staple. And mac and cheese. Can't forget that.

Riley pulled into the spot next to Lila and got out. He reached the door to the diner ahead of her and opened it. "After you, doll." Yeah, he had more than one reason for doing that; it let him breathe in her scent, he got to look at her ass, not that he would stare but she did have a nice one, and he got to be a gentleman.

Lila led them to a booth and put Kami on the inside. She was teaching her how to read and Kami was picking it up quickly. Kami had her own menu and was looking it over. A frown creased her brow. "Mommy? What's a cheese qua-sah-dill-ah?"

"That's a kay-sah-dee-ya (quesadilla)," Lila corrected, pronouncing it properly for her. "It's a flour tortilla that is folded in half with cheese in the middle and it's put in a special container and heated until the cheese is melted."

"Oh. Can I try that?" she asked.

"Of course mo storin. But in case you don't like it, we'll get you some chicken tenders and mac and cheese, too. What would you like to drink?" Lila asked even though she already knew the answer.

"Chocolate milk, please."

"How did I know that would be your answer?" Lila said and tickled her a little.

"You said that better than I could even a few years ago," Riley said to Kami.

"Really?" Kami asked.

"Yep. You are a very smart little pixie," Riley replied.

Kami grinned at the comment but when their food arrived she forgot all about talking because she was focused on eating.

"What brought you to Washington, Lila?" Riley asked after he'd taken a bite of one of the burgers he'd ordered.

"Truthfully, I was just passing through when we met Warren outside of IHOP and he and Adam convinced me to stay."

Riley gave her a thoughtful look. "That must have been rough, traveling like that."

Lila shrugged. "I made do. What brings **you** to Washington? That accent isn't West Coast, it sounds more... northern."

"Originally I'm from Jersey, came here from Philly, though. The company I work for needed someone to head up their new IT security department and I was offered the job. Better pay and I get to be in charge, I wasn't about to turn it down." He studied her a moment. "Speaking of accents, yours is definitely not American."

"No, it's not," she admitted. "I'm from Belfast, I came here on a foreign exchange program when I was eighteen."

"Ah, the Emerald Isle. I've always wanted to go to Belfast. Do you talk to your family much?"

"I don't have any family, except Kami," Lila replied. "My da' died when I was a baby, I never knew him, and my mum passed away not long after I cam to the US."

"Sh... oot, Lila, I'm so sorry. I wouldn't have mentioned family if I'd known."

"It's okay, Riley. You couldn't have known. I don't talk about it much," she admitted. She had this odd feeling she was being watched but when she glanced around she didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"I'd like to take you out sometime. On a date," Riley said after a moment.

"I... don't really go on dates," Lila replied.

"Why is that?"

She gave him an odd look. "If you haven't noticed, I have a daughter."

"That doesn't mean you can't go on dates," he countered.

"Look, I just don't," Lila said then turned to her daughter. "Kami, honey, finish your mac and cheese, we need to get you home and into the bath."

"Okay mommy." She scooted closer to her mother because she could tell her mother was upset about something.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Lila. I like you," Riley told her.

"You don't even know me."

"Fine, I'm attracted to you, but the only way to get to know you is by spending time with you," he pointed out.

Lila sighed and rubbed her brow. She couldn't deal with this, not right now. Maybe not ever. As soon as Kami was done eating she paid for their food and headed for the door with Riley right behind her. She waited until she had Kami in her booster seat and the door closed to speak. "You don't want me Riley. You don't know the things I've done. You deserve someone like Honey, someone poised, and elegant, and beautiful."

Riley started to correct her on her view of her appearance but her next words stopped him; not because of **what** she said but because of the utter **shame** in her voice.

"Not someone who whored herself out just to get by," Lila said and slid into her car to go home.

Riley stood there staring as she drove off. From the corner of his eye he noticed someone watching them but when the guy went the opposite direction out of the parking lot he shrugged it off. He thought about what Lila said, and what Mercy had told him about Lila having trouble in the past with her old pack, and he swore under his breath. If her old pack had done right by her she'd have nothing to feel ashamed about. It **wasn't** her fault. She needed to know he didn't hold it against her and the sooner the better.

Mercy's phone rang and at first she frowned because she couldn't place the number, but then she remembered it belonged to their newest pack member. "Hello, Riley, everything okay?"

"Hey, Mercy. Eh, that's debatable. Listen, I need a favor. I need to know where Lila lives. She said something about her past that I think she believes will make me run away, I need her to know I don't hold it against her. Trouble is, I haven't a damn clue where she lives."

Mercy had a feeling she knew what that 'something' was. "No problem," she said and told him where he could find Lila.

"Thanks," Riley said and hung up. Here was hoping Lila didn't just close the door in his face when he knocked.

********************MT********************

Lila had just gotten Kami inside the house and was turning to lock the door when it opened. She moved her daughter behind her and just barely held back the growl that threatened to come out. "Isaac? What are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too, Lila. Oh, as far as my new Alpha knows, I'm on vacation in Colorado," he replied. "Did you really think I **wouldn't** come looking for you once we knew where you were?"

"You're in Columbia Basin Pack territory, uninvited. That could get you killed," she said in reply.

"That's why I left the car running," he said with a smirk. "You're going to go get in it and we are leaving the immediate area."

Lila blinked at him. "You're crazy. I'm not going anywhere with you. **You** are part of the reason I left Maine in the first place."

"Oh, I think you will do **exactly** what I say. Unless you want your kid to pay the price."

Lila froze. From the look on his face she knew he was serious. "Okay. Just give me a minute to get Kami some clothes."

"I didn't say anything about your brat coming with us. You get in the car now, or she dies. Those are your choices."

"Isaac, don't do this, please. She's just a little girl."

"Thirty seconds," was all he said.

Lila closed her eyes a moment then knelt so she was even with her daughter. "Kami, sweetheart, mommy has to leave. I want you to go get the phone and call Aunt Mercy," she said and hugged her. What did it say about her life that she had a code for her daughter to follow in case of danger? She let go and let Isaac drag her out to his car.

********************MT********************

Riley arrived at the address on his GPS just in time to see Lila being shoved into the car he'd seen at the diner. He started to follow when he saw Lila look back at the townhouse. There was only one reason she would do that; Kami. Did the man who'd grabbed Lila harm Kami? He had to be fae or wolf, a human couldn't have forced Lila to do anything. Riley didn't even bother with turning the car off or closing the door, he just bolted inside expecting to find the worst.

As soon as the door closed Kami pushed the chair over to the phone so she could reach it to make the call. She was crying and sniffling when she heard someone come in. "Mommy?" she asked hopefully.

At the sound of the little girl's voice a knot of fear eased in the pit of Riley's stomach. He smelled unfamiliar wolf and a low growl trickled from him. "No, pixie, it's not your mommy, but we'll get her back," he said and went to her.

"A bad man made mommy leave. Mommy said to call Aunt Mercy, that means he's a bad man," she said with a sniffle.

Riley picked her up to comfort her. What the hell kind of life was Lila forced to live before that she had such safeguards in place? "Did your mommy say anything to that bad man?" he asked while he got his phone out to call his Alpha.

Kami bit her lip and frowned a little as she tried to remember what was said. "Mommy called him Isaac. She said.. she said he was part of why we left Maine."

"That's good, little pixie, that's real good. That's a big help," Riley promised then turned his attention to his phone.

"Hauptman," Adam said when he answered. The number was vaguely familiar but he was distracted by his third's emotional state so he didn't even try to place it.

"My apologies for calling when our third needs his Alpha but another of the pack needs you more," Riley said.

That got Adam's attention. "What's happened?"

"An unfamiliar **person** ," he said, emphasizing the word so Adam would know it was a werewolf, "forced Lila into their car and took off. Kami's safe, I found her in the house getting ready to call Aunt Mercy. Interesting bit of information, his name is Isaac and he's part of the reason Lila left her home in Maine."

Adam growled. "Bring Kami here, I'll have Honey take her and Jesse to her house. We'll find her, you have my word."

"On my way, boss man," Riley said and hung up. "You're gonna stay with Jesse and Miss Honey until we get your mommy. Let's go pack you some clothes," he told Kami. It was getting late, she'd need something to sleep in. He let Kami pick out what she wanted and he wasn't entirely surprised when she grabbed a stuffed white Bengal tiger off her bed. She clung to it, even in the car, as if her life depended on it.

********************MT********************

Lila was silent as they drove away from the city. All she could do at the moment was pray her daughter was okay. Her own safety at the moment was questionable at best. "Why are you doing this, Isaac? You have to know my pack will find us and you'll pay the price for kidnapping me."

"I'm doing this because you need to be taught a lesson. You don't tease a man for weeks and then act like you're the victim when he takes you up on it." He ignored the rest of her comment.

"I didn't tease you. The first time you came on to me I told you I wasn't interested. We're werewolves, you can't pretend I was just being coy because if I'd been attracted to you, you would have smelled it."

He snorted. "Arousal and attraction aren't the same thing." He reached their destination, unaware it was actually still in pack territory, just on the very edge of it, and dragged her inside. It was just a rundown warehouse that was once used for storage. "I had quite an interesting conversation at the dive I was staying in. The manager caught me looking at an old photo I have of you and commented on just how good you are at sucking cock. Said it was a shame you left when you did. He saw a number of strange men coming and going from your room, he figured he could have gotten a piece of ass from you awful easy. You pretended to be so upset over me trying to get in your pants, maybe I should have offered you money for it."

His words cut her deeply and brought the shame she felt rushing back. "There were... circumstances. I didn't do it because I wanted to," she said in her defense.

"Mmhm, I'm sure. Don't worry Lila, I'll be sure to pay you what you're worth," he sneered.

Lila turned and ran. Sure there really wasn't anywhere **to** run but self-preservation kicked in. He was bigger, stronger, and more dominant, but if he cornered her she **would** fight.

Isaac went after her. She was small, lithe, and fast but she had to maneuver around objects because she didn't know the layout like he did. He caught up with her as she rounded a stack of crates and tackled her.

Lila made an all too 'girly' noise when she was tackled. On her stomach it was harder to fight but she tried. She twisted and bucked, trying to get enough purchase to throw him off her. She managed to get her knees under her and was struggling to shove him off when his fist connected with her temple hard enough to knock her out.

"Stupid bitch," Isaac growled once she was still. He wasted no time because he knew she'd wake up quickly. First he secured her wrists then attached a chain to the bonds and secured it above her head in a way that would make it harder for her to pull free. The position pushed her breasts up and he leered. Now the only thing he needed to do was rid her of her clothes.

 **WARNING POSSIBLE TRIGGER SCENE**

********************MT********************

Lila awoke to the sound of fabric tearing. She felt air on her skin and her eyes snapped open."Don't do this.. Isaac, don't... I'll ask my Alpha for leniency but if you do this I'll gleefully watch him rip you to shreds."

"He'll have to find us first. Once I'm finished we'll be leaving," he told her. He pried her legs apart but he wasn't going to enter her dry. Oh no, he was going to make sure the bitch enjoyed it. He worked two fingers in and out of her quickly while his thumb caressed the bud at the apex of her sex.

Lila closed her eyes and tried to ignore it but soon her body was responding even if she was repulsed by him. She orgasmed and silent tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Now you're ready," Isaac growled, freed himself from his pants, and entered her. She was still snug enough he had to work for it.

 **TRIGGER SCENE OVER FOR NOW**

********************MT********************

As soon as Riley arrived Adam sent Jesse and Kami off with Honey. Kyle had finally awakened long enough for them to know he was out of the woods and that allowed Adam to concentrate on finding Lila. Finding a pack member through the pack bonds wasn't easy. Even the Marrok had trouble with that, but where the Marrok had a pack member with the uncanny ability to find missing pack members, even from a distance, Adam had no such help, so he had to rely on the bonds. He went to the dojo and sat to meditate. It would take time, and god only knew what Lila was going to suffer while it did, but there was nothing else he could do. He'd already called the Marrok and the Bangor Pack's Alpha about Isaac. Bran gave Adam permission to end the wolf because he'd gone rogue and attacked one of Adam's pack and Joseph Moore was preparing his pack for the coming death. Adam followed the thread that bound Lila to the pack and finally he knew where to find her. "I have a direction for her, let's go."

 **WARNING AGAIN JUST IN CASE**

********************MT********************

Lila felt a slight... tug on the pack bond and she knew her Alpha was coming for her. She laid there as her body was violated and uttered not a sound. Isaac didn't even seem to care. All he was interest in was slaking his lust. 'Please let them get here soon' she silently prayed. She could tell from his increasingly erratic thrusts he was close.

"Next time I'll use that pretty little mouth of yours. You can show me just how good you are at cock sucking," Isaac growled seconds before he finished.

 **POSSIBLE TRIGGER SCENE OVER**

********************MT********************

Adam arrived with several members of the pack, including Riley. "The Marrok has agreed the wolf is a rogue. We have permission to make sure he doesn't leave here alive," he told them.

"Good," Riley growled. There was only one reason why he would have taken Lila. She was already hurting from the things she'd had to do to survive. This... damn it, he could only hope whatever the bastard was doing to her didn't break her completely.

They entered the building on silent feet. They weren't quite halfway across when they heard grunting noises and the sound of skin on skin. Riley smelled sex and his lip curled in a silent snarl.

"Next time I'll use that pretty little mouth of yours. You can show me just how good you are at cock sucking."

At those words Riley was off, He barreled into the other wolf while he was still trying to pull his pants up. Riley lifted him and threw him then charged after him.

Adam held a hand up to stop the others from following. "Riley has claimed this kill. Intervene only if needed," he said then went to Lila. He worked quickly to release her from her bonds and took the blanket his mate held out for him. "It's alright, Lila, you're safe now. Kami is safe too, she's with Jesse and Honey right now," he told her as he bundled her up.

********************MT********************

Riley was vicious in his attack. He'd only just met Lila but his wolf wanted her. As far as his wolf was concerned, the rogue touched what was theirs and **needed** to die. Since Riley pretty much agreed, he had no issue letting his wolf control the fight.

There was a loud crack as bone snapped and Isaac howled in pain. He held his damaged arm close to his body and kept fighting but he knew it was a losing battle. But there was nowhere to run.

Protecting his arm left Isaac distracted and Riley took full advantage of it. He lashed out and his foot connected with the back of Isaac's knee. The other wolf screamed as he went down but the scream didn't last long because Riley ripped his throat out with his bare hand. Then he simply tore Isaac's head from his body so he couldn't heal the damage.

********************MT********************

When Lila heard Adam's voice she whimpered softly. The blanket smelled like pack and that soothed both her and her wolf. She could hear the fighting but her mind was still trying to process the fact it was Riley she'd seen slam into Isaac. At the scream she panicked. Was it Riley? Was he dead?

"It's okay, it's over. Isaac's dead," Adam said soothingly. He didn't chide her for the reaction because she'd been raped, she had reason enough to be too emotionally strung out to realize she would have felt it if it had been Riley. They all would have.

********************MT********************

Riley cleaned himself up the best he could before he approached Adam. There was fear in his eyes; fear for Lila's mental state. Internally he blamed himself. If he'd driven just a little faster he would have gotten there in time to keep the bastard from taking her in the first place.

"You're not hurt," Lila whispered when she saw him.

"A few bruises, I'll be fine," he replied. He was careful as he reached out and touched her cheek. "Will you let me carry you to the cars? We parked far enough away he wouldn't hear our approach."

She started to refuse, he deserved someone who wasn't so dirty, but she nodded because she **wanted** him to hold her.

Adam passed her to him then called Elizaveta to clean up the area so no one would ever know what happened there.

"Aurielle and I will wait for the witch," Darryl said. He knew Adam needed to make sure Lila really was okay, and hell, he needed to check on Warren and Kyle too.

Riley held her close as he walked. "I don't know if Adam told you, Kami's safe. I pulled up as that bastard was forcing you into his car, almost followed, but I saw you look back and knew... I'm so fucking sorry, Lila. If I'd followed, or if I'd driven just a little faster..."

"No. Don't. He would have found another way," she replied. "And Kami would have been alone that much longer if you'd followed us. Thank you for keeping her safe and for... rescuing me."

"You're welcome, doll," he said. They reached the cars and he stopped halfway between his and Adam's.

Lila was watching his face and saw his eyes shift between the vehicles. "Yours," she said, deciding for him. "I feel safe with you." Yes Adam was Alpha, he'd keep her safe because of that, but Riley... he was genuinely drawn to her. He'd gone after Isaac as if she **meant** something to him. Which made no sense to her since they'd just met. But her wolf was adamant about staying near him.

"Alright, doll, whatever you need, you say the word and it's yours," he said. He got her in the passenger seat then looked at his Alpha.

"Take her home, we'll go get Kami and bring her to you," Adam said. Lila needed to be home before she broke down. He glanced at Mercy and sighed. Riley had a hard road ahead of him. He knew that from experience.

"Those two have a rough road ahead," Mercy said once they were on their way. "But if he's patient with her I think they'll be okay."

"I think you're right," Adam replied.

"The way he acted, you'd think they were already mates," Mercy said after a moment.

"Noticed that too, did you? It certainly seemed that way to me too. Sometimes the wolf just knows what it wants."

********************MT********************

Riley got Lila back to the townhouse and then went right upstairs and got the bath going. "While we wait for Adam and Mercy to bring Kami home, I want you to go relax in the tub. I'll take care of things, Lila. No strings attached. Like I said, whatever you need, it's yours."

Lila was numb as she made her way upstairs to her bedroom. She grabbed something to put on after her bath then went into the bathroom. The water was the perfect temperature but she felt cold anyway. She sank down until her chin was almost submerged in the bubbles he'd put in the water and before she knew it she was crying.

Riley heard her even from downstairs and he quickly made his way to her. He didn't even care about his clothes or shoes getting wet, he just slid into the water, pulled her to him, and held her while she cried.

********************MT********************

By the time Adam and Mercy arrived Lila was curled up on the sofa in comfortable sweats and a blanket wrapped around her. She'd even found Riley something he could put on until his clothes dried. "Mommy!" Kami ran to her mother and Lila picked her up to hug tightly. "Mo storin, how I missed you." She buried her nose in her daughter's hair to breathe her in. True she hadn't been gone **that** long, but Lila had feared she would never see her again so it felt much longer than it really was.

"I missed you too, mommy. After that bad man made you go away, Riley came and he said, he said he was gonna save you."

"That's exactly what he did," Lila told her. She saw the look of worship in her daughter's eyes when she looked at Riley. On one level it scared her to see it because she didn't want her daughter to end up hurt.

Mercy approached slowly. "Lila? I've been where you are now, if you ever want to talk, you know where I am," she said then moved so Adam could talk to her.

Adam moved to where Lila sat and squatted down to talk with her. "The only people who will know what happened are those who were there when we found you, unless you decide otherwise. Your pack is here for you, Lila. I know your past makes that hard to believe, hard to trust, but we are. I do want to talk with Kyle about this, though, to get you a leave of absence from your work, but not without your approval. You need to take some time to heal, Lila."

"I know you think it's best but... I have bills I can't pay if I'm not working."

"The pack will take care of them and anything else you need."

Lila blinked back sudden tears and nodded. "Alright." There was such a huge difference between the Columbia Basin Pack and the Bangor Pack when she'd been part of it. If she'd been raped by Isaac back then, she knew she wouldn't have had any support from the pack. Or very little, anyway. Joseph would have tried to help her as much as he could.

Adam motioned Riley to follow them outside. "If you're genuinely interested in her, I'm going to warn you now, the road ahead won't be an easy one. A few years ago Mercy was raped while under the influence of a fae artifact. It did a lot of damage to her psyche and for a long time certain things I did made her tense up. You're going to have to be patient with her to help her work through the fear, the shame, that she's going to deal with."

"I already told her whatever she needs, it's hers, boss man. I can't tell you what it is about her, but I **want** to be near her. Hell, my wolf is already thinking of her as ours, her and that little girl of hers. What that bastard did, if I could have made him suffer for hours before he died, I would have."

"I remember that rage," Adam said.

"You should have seen what Adam did to my rapist. There were pieces of him **everywhere**. It took a lot of time and magic for Elizaveta to get it completely cleaned up. Someone edited a copy of the surveillance video to omit what happened to me in order to try to turn the government against werewolves, don't worry, it got fixed when they saw the whole thing, but it... was impressive. Anyway, give her time and she'll be able to talk about it without having trouble. And if she has a panic attack, just be there to support her," Mercy told him.

Riley nodded and went back inside where he found Lila curled up on the sofa with Kami tucked close and both already asleep. He found a blanket and draped it over them then settled in a nearby chair to catch a little shut-eye himself.


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

********************MT********************

Riley camped out at Lila's for the next two days. He wanted to stay longer, to be there if she needed him, but he knew she needed her space. Before he left though he made sure his number was in her phone. "If you need me, you call. I don't care what time it is. You call me and I'll be here." He took one of her hands in his and brought it to his mouth to place a kiss in her palm. Then he left and went back to the hotel. He needed to find himself an apartment now that he'd settled on staying there in the tri-cities.

Lila watched him go. He'd been cautious with her, never getting in her personal space but there when she needed him. She didn't understand why though. Not after what she'd told him. Noise form her daughter's room pulled her from her thoughts and she went to soothe her. The last two days Kami had had bad dreams and Lila was sure it was because of what had happened with Isaac. She slid onto her daughter's bed and curled around her. Her presence always stopped the dreams.

Lila watched Kami sleep. The frown lines eased from her face and she settled deeper into slumber. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that, mo storin," she whispered. She hoped the memories faded quickly.

********************MT********************'

The days passed and brought some unexpected changes. When a rogue moved through the area, killing a teenage girl and changing her boyfriend, Lila found she had a vicious side. She and Riley went with the Marrok's Enforcer to track and kill it. She didn't personally help with the kill but she'd wanted to. What he'd done was unforgivable. He'd harmed **children**. Discovering that side of herself, all she could think was Goddess help anyone who ever tried to hurt her daughter.

Riley was another unexpected change. Lila was used to being disappointed by men so she'd expected him to be no different. Yet, the first time she called him, at three in the morning, he'd driven as fast as he could to get to her. He'd held her while she cried and stayed until she awoke later in the morning.

********************MT********************

Several weeks after her attack Lila was back at work trying to get the filing cabinet reorganized, because the temp they'd hired had made a mess of things, when Tara, one of the other receptionists, stuck her head in the filing room. "You have a phone call, Lila. It's your babysitter."

"Thanks, Tara," Lila replied and tried to not panic. When she'd left the house that morning Kami wasn't feeling well but she hadn't seemed **that** sick or Lila would have stayed home. She returned the files to the cabinet with a slip of paper marking where she'd stopped and went to get the call. "Hello, Marie, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry to call you at work but Kami has gotten worse. She's running a high fever, she says she hurts everywhere, and she's started throwing up."

"Don't ever apologize for calling me if it's because of something being wrong. I'll be there soon, I just need to let the office manager know I need to leave." She hung up, spoke with her manager, then headed to get her daughter and take her to the doctor.

********************MT********************

By the time she got to the doctor's office Kami's temperature had spiked to 105 and the pediatrician told her to take Kami to the hospital, immediately. She called ahead to inform the ED of the situation so they would be taken back upon their arrival. On the way to the hospital Lila called Riley. She was scared and he was the first person she thought of calling.

********************MT********************

Riley was at work when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, saw it was Lila calling, and answered right away. "Hey, doll, what's up?"

"Riley... is there any way you can come to Kennewick General? If not, it's okay, I know you're at work."

As soon as he heard her voice he knew something was wrong. At the mention of the hospital he headed for the exit. "I'm on my way, Lila," he assured her. "I'll call you when I get to the parking lot," he added and hung up.

"What's wrong, Mr. Griffin?" Claire, his assistant, asked when he headed for the door.

"Family emergency," Riley replied. He drove as fast as he could, not even worrying about the speed limit, because Lila needed him.

********************MT********************

By the time Riley called to tell her he was in the parking lot Lila and Kami were in one of the exam rooms. "We're in room twelve," she said quietly. She was trying to hold it together for her daughter's sake.

Riley stepped into the room and his nostrils flared. With as on edge as Lila was it was surprising she wasn't struggling to keep her wolf under control. He moved to her and carefully wrapped his arms around her. "Any news yet, doll?"

The moment he entered the room she felt calmer. "Not yet. They're running tests now. All we know right now is she has a high fever they're working on bringing down. I wish they would hurry up and tell me something."

"I know, doll, I know. They'll tell you something just as soon as they have something **to** tell you."

"I just hate all this waiting," she whispered. She ran her fingers through her daughter's hair while they waited for the doctor to tell her what was wrong with Kami.

An hour after his arrival Riley was ready to throttle someone as well. What was taking them so damn long? "About damn time," he growled when the doctor finally came into the room.

The doctor was a little startled by the growl but he regained his composure quickly. "Ms. O'Connell, I apologize for the wait."

"It's okay, doctor, I know you're busy. Do you know what's wrong with my little girl?"

"Kami's white blood cell count is extremely high. I want to transfer her to the Seattle Children's Hospital."

"What do you think is wrong with Kami?" Riley asked. He could feel Lila shaking a little.

"Honestly, it could be any number of things. There are specialists there who can give a more accurate diagnosis and treatment, Mister... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Griffin, Riley Griffin. I'm a friend of Lila's," Riley replied.

"Okay. If transferring her there will help us find out what's wrong, do it," Lila said. As soon as the doctor nodded and left she turned to Riley. "Call Adam, please." Adam would have to make arrangements with the Emerald City Pack's Alpha for her to be in their territory.

"I'll be right back, doll," Riley replied and went outside to make the call.

********************MT********************

"What can I do for you, Riley?" Adam said when his phone rang and he saw who it was.

"It's actually what you can do for Lila, boss man. She had to take Kami to the ER and they want to send her to the children's hospital up in Seattle."

"Say no more. I'll give Angus a call and get his permission for her to be in his territory. I assume you want to go with her?" Adam said.

"Yes sir, I do."

"Alright. I'll get it taken care of. Keep me posted on what you find out and tell Lila not to worry about the cost, the pack will take care of it."

"Will do, boss man," Riley replied and went back inside.

********************MT********************

Adam pulled up Angus Hopper's number and dialed it. Lila needed to be with her daughter and Riley wasn't going to let Lila go alone, not when she was already dealing with so much, and he knew Angus would readily allow her and Riley into his pack's territory given the circumstances.

"Adam Hauptman, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" Angus asked.

"Hello, Angus. I need a favor. One of my pack members has a daughter who is very ill. She's being transferred to the Seattle Children's Hospital so they can figure out exactly what's wrong with her, and treat her. I need permission for her and one other to be in your territory."

"Get me names and photos of both so I can make sure my pack knows who they are. We'll keep an eye on them while they're in our city. I hope her daughter get's better," Angus replied.

"Thank you, Angus. You already know one of them, Riley Griffin. The other is Lila O'Connell," Adam told him. He hung up the phone and rubbed his brow before he left his office. "There you are. We're needed at the hospital," he said when he found Mercy in the kitchen.

"Hospital?"

"Kami is sick. They're going to transfer her to Seattle, I need to get photos of her and Riley to send to Angus so the Emerald City Pack knows who they are."

"Oh no. Lila has to be in a panic over this," Mercy said as she followed her husband out to the SUV. She said a silent prayer that it wasn't anything serious but if they were sending Kami to Seattle Mercy knew that the chances of it being minor were slim at best.

They arrived while Kami was being prepared for the transfer. "Everything is taken care of. The Emerald City Pack knows you will both be in their territory and their Alpha, Angus Hopper, assures me they will keep an eye on you to keep you safe," Adam said as he approached Lila. "Any and all expenses will be taken care of. You just focus on Kami, understand?"

"Understood," Lila replied.

"We need pictures of you two to send to Angus so he can share them with his pack so they'll know who you are," Mercy said before she snapped a few with her cellphone. "After all, Riley didn't meet the entire pack when he went to meet with Angus before he decided to join our pack," she pointed out. "Keep us posted, okay?" she added.

"Of course, Mercy," Lila replied and when they wheeled Kami out of the room she and Riley followed.

"You ride with her, doll, I'll follow," Riley said once they reached the ambulance that would transfer Kami to the Seattle Children's Hospital. He touched Lila's cheek briefly then went to the parking lot where he'd left his car.

Lila watched him go before she climbed into the back of the ambulance and took her daughter's hand.

"I'm scared, mommy," Kami whispered.

Lila leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Don't be, mo storin, I'm right here. It's going to be okay." 'Please don't let me have just lied to my little girl,' she silently prayed.

********************MT********************

Angus Hopper was waiting at the hospital when they arrived. He approached them with purpose but also with compassion and concern. "Griffin. I was a little surprised when Adam Hauptman informed me you were one of his wolves coming here."

Riley glanced at Lila. "What can I say, Lila and her pixie pulled me in," he replied.

Angus chuckled a little. "That's how it always happens. Anyway, I've arranged lodgings nearby, if either of you want to use them." He handed the key cards to them then nodded. "One of my pack will be on hand if you need anything at all. Children are precious, I hope your daughter gets better," he said to Lila.

"Thank you," Lila replied.

Angus just nodded at her then made sure he knew what room Kami was going to be in, to pass it on to his pack, and left.

********************MT********************

Once Kami was in a room she was given something to eat. The door opened and an older man in a white coat stepped inside. "Ms. O'Connell, I'm Dr. Travers. I'll be overseeing Kami's care during her stay. We're going to let her rest tonight and start running tests in the morning. She'll be given fluids and medication to help bring the fever down, but for tonight she can rest easy. We'll figure out what's wrong with her and fix it if we can."

"Thank you, doctor," Lila replied.

"Of course. The chair there converts to a bed and the sofa can be used to sleep on as well. See you in the morning, Ms. O'Connell."

Once the doctor left Lila leaned into Riley. "Thank you for being here," she said softly.

"I told you, doll, anything you need, you say the word and it's yours," he replied.

"I still don't understand why," she said after a moment. "I'm unworthy of you, Riley. Not just because of what he did to me... I did things I'm so ashamed of," she added.

"I know, doll. I don't need details to understand what you mean, Lila. You did what you had to do in order to provide for Kami. I don't hold that against you."

"You should. I'm dirty, Riley. I'm a whore, you deserve better."

"No, you're not. You're a mother who was desperate to take care of her child. There are too damn many women out there who would have just abandoned their kid when things got bad. It happens all the time. You didn't. You're a good woman, Lila, a good mother. Nothing you say will make me see you any differently."

A soft sob escaped her and she buried her face in her hands. When she felt his arms encircle her she gripped his shirt and clung to him. She still didn't think she was worthy of him but she didn't have the strength to keep arguing with him about it. It was no doubt a waste of time anyway. The man was stubborn as an ox.

"What's wrong, mommy?"

At her daughter's question Lila squared her shoulders and stepped out of his arms. She needed to be strong for her little girl She couldn't afford to be weak, not right now. "It's nothing mo storin. Mommy is just worried and needed to let it out and crying was better than yelling," she told her.

"I wanna go home, mommy," Kami said after a moment.

"I know you do, and we will, soon. The doctor has to find out why you're sick so he can make you better, first." Kami whimpered and it nearly broke Lila's heart. She slid onto the bed with her daughter and held her close while she sang softly to her.

" _Rest tired eyes a while  
Sweet is thy baby's smile  
Angels are guarding and they watch o'er thee_

 _Sleep, sleep,_ _grah mo chree *_ _  
Here on you mamma's knee  
Angels are guarding  
And they watch o'er thee_

 _The birdeens sing a fluting song  
They sing to thee the whole day long  
Wee fairies dance o'er hill and dale  
For very love of thee_

 _Dream, Dream,_ _grah mo chree_ _  
Here on your Mamma's knee  
Angels are guarding and they watch o'er thee  
As you sleep may Angels watch over  
And may they guard o'er thee._

 _The primrose in the sheltered nook  
The crystal stream the babbling brook  
All these things God's hands have made  
For very love of thee_

 _Twilight and shadows fall  
Peace to His children all  
Angels are guarding and they watch o'er thee  
As you sleep  
May Angels watch over and May they guard o'er thee."_

Once Kami was asleep Lila brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her forehead.

"That was lovely," Riley said when she was done.

"Thank you. It's the Ballyeamon Cradle song. My Gran used to sing it to me when I was little and didn't feel well." She watched her daughter sleep for a moment before she returned her attention to Riley. "Thank you for being here. I know I said it already but I'm saying it again."

"You don't need to thank me, Lila. This is right where I want to be. I'm going to go get us something to eat. I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Be careful," she replied.

"I will." He touched her cheek and left. He wished she saw herself the way he did but he understood **why** she thought so poorly of herself. As he left to get them food he decided he was just going to have to help her change her view.

********************MT********************

Test after test after test. Each time they took her daughter from the room Lila had to force her wolf to stay calm. Their pup was hurting and there was nothing they could do about it. It made the human half want to cry and made the wolf want to howl. "It's been three days and they still don't know what's wrong with my little girl. What's taking so long?" Lila said as she paced the room. Kami was out of the room at the moment so she could voice her frustration.

"They're doing their best, doll. I know that's not what you want to hear and it kills me to know there's nothing I can do but be here for you."

"I know you're right," she said with a sigh. "I'm just so scared," she admitted. "I'm scared I'm going to lose her."

Riley went to her and wrapped his arms around her. When she tensed he stopped and waited until she relaxed before he pulled her close. "I know, Lila, I know. I wish I could tell you it was all going to be fine but I can't."

The door opened and Lila felt a sense of foreboding when the doctor entered. She gripped Riley's arms to keep him in place because she wasn't entirely sure she was going to be able to take whatever the news was if he wasn't holding her. When had he become so important to her? That was something to think about at a later time.

"Ms. O'Connell, I know you've been anxiously waiting for news. I've double and triple checked things to be sure I'm not wrong. There's no easy way to say something like this," he said in attempt of trying but failing to soften the blow that would come with his next words. "I'm sorry, Ms. O'Connell. Your daughter has acute myeloid leukemia."

Lila actual stumbled at his words. "Oh my gods," she whispered. She felt like her world was spinning out of control. Her little girl, her sweet angel, her little pixie had cancer.

"Luckily AML is one of the most common forms of leukemia, it makes it easier to treat and has a higher success rate than the more rare forms. Also, we've caught it early enough I'm confident treatment will be effective. You need to be aware of the side effects though. We'll be giving Kami several sessions, or cycles, of chemotherapy. Each session lasts five to ten days, I want to start with ten, to hit it hard and fast, then we'll cut it down a bit if she responds well to it. She'll have a three week break between each cycle to give her time to recover. The most common side effects are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, mouth or throat sores, diarrhea or constipation, it varies from patient to patient, headaches, muscle pain, stomach pain, blood disorders that affect the bone marrow, loss of appetite, and some patients lose their hair. No patient ever has every single side effect, this is just a list of the things she may have to deal with during treatment."

Lila was numb. Her little girl had cancer. Oh gods, how did this happen? "What... what caused it?" she asked. Was it her fault? Had she exposed her daughter to something in all their moving around? "What caused it?" she asked again.

"The causes of leukemia are mostly unknown. There are risk factors such as exposure to high levels of radiation and sometimes genetic abnormalities but truthfully, Ms. O'Connell, there is no way of knowing what caused it. We'll start treatment in the morning. I'd like to keep her here for the cycle and then keep her a few days longer for observation this first time around, to be sure she's responding well and there are no serious issues. We'll schedule her next round of treatments before you leave. If you need anything tonight just let one of the nurses know."

They'd brought Kami in while the doctor was giving Lila his diagnosis and now she was resting in bed. "Thank you, doctor," Lila said and went to sit on the edge of her daughter's bed. She watched her a moment before she ran her fingers through Kami's hair. When Kami's eyes opened Lila forced a smile onto her face. "Did you have a good nap?"

"Was okay," Kami mumbled sleepily. "I don't feel good mommy," she added in a whimper.

"I know, mo storin. The doctor's are going to try to make you better. You'll have to take special medicine that might make you feel bad, and might upset your tummy for a couple of days, but it will help you to start feeling better."

There was a light knock on the door and then a tray of food was brought in for Kami; soup, jello and apple juice. Kami ate what she could then fell back to sleep.

"I'm going to step out to call Adam and let him know what the doctor said. Do you need anything, doll?" Riley asked.

Lila shook her head. "No. Or rather, not anything you can really do anything about," she replied. Once he left she slid onto the bed with her daughter and just held onto her. She couldn't help but wonder if this was all her fault.

********************MT********************

* _grah mo chree_ is Gaelic for "sweetheart".


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** All cannon characters and settings belong to the brilliant mind of Patricia Briggs. The rest comes solely from my imagination. This is written merely for my own pleasure and the pleasure of others. Also, I tend to get long-winded, so some of my chapters may be long, no, not may be, will be. You have been warned. Now, without further ado, on with the story!

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The first few days after her daughter's diagnosis were hell. The treatments made Kami so sick to her stomach she couldn't even keep jello down, which in turn made her cry. Lila was strong when her daughter was awake but when she slept Lila broke down. She refused to let her daughter see her like that because Kami was already scared enough as it was.

The full moon arrived and as much as it killed Lila to have to leave Kami's side, when Mercy and Jesse arrived to sit with Kami Lila kissed her forehead, promised to be back by morning, and left. "I should be there with her," Lila said once they were out of the hospital.

"I know this is hard for you, doll. I wish there was something I could do to make it easier for you," Riley said as he led her to where he'd parked his SUV. They would meet up with the pack to run under the full moon although he knew not even her wolf wanted to run with Kami so sick.

"You being here helps," Lila admitted. Once in the car she turned in her seat a little to watch him drive. He was a good man and she really wasn't being fair to him. She was leaning on him, leaning on his support, all while trying to keep herself emotionally shut off from him. "I'm sorry I haven't been very fair to you," she said softly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.

"You've been at my side through all of this, you come over in the middle of the night because I have a panic attack, you do all these things for me and I still try to keep you at a distance, emotionally. I'm scared. The last man I loved I lost. I don't think I could survive that again."

"I'm not going anywhere, Lila. I'm not going to die on you, doll."

"You don't know that, Riley. You're working your way up the pack, soon you'll be fifth, but what if we get a new pack member who decides he wants your position?"

"I'm not going to die on you, Lila. You have my word on that. If that happens, I'll yield. I'm not too proud to yield if someone is more dominant than me, not when I have something to live for." He took her hand in his. "I'm here because you **and** that little pixie are important to me, doll. You've been through hell, and just when you're starting to get past that you're hit with this. You're coping with so much shit it's taking all your focus just to get through it and I'm okay with that. I'll be right here to help you with it as much as I can."

Lila felt tears stinging her eyes. "I still don't think I deserve you but thank you," she said softly. They reached their destination and as she got out of the SUV she took a deep breath to try to calm herself.

"Miss Lila, how are you holding up?" Warren asked as they reached the pack.

"As best I can. It's so hard though. My little girl is hurting and there isn't a damn thing I can do to stop it," she replied.

"You just hang in there, darlin'. You'll get through this. We'll all help you," he said and hugged her.

Kyle moved to their side and put his hand on her back for comfort. "Warren's right, we'll all help you get through this and don't you worry about anything. Your job will still be there when this is over and you're able to go back."

She was just barely holding the tears back but between Warren's hug and Kyle's words her resolve crumbled. A sob escaped her and the dam broke.

Warren hugged her a moment longer then he let Riley take her. He knew the other wolf had claimed her as his, although they weren't mates yet, and he was anxious to comfort her.

When Riley wrapped his arms around her she clung to him and cried. She let the fear she was feeling come out because with him there, with the pack there, she could let it out and lean on them. She knew she wouldn't lose control with all of them there. Soon several wolves were there just touching her and comforting her with their presence. "Thank you, all of you," she murmured several minutes later.

Adam was there and he too gave her a comforting hug. "You're welcome, Lila. This is what it means to be pack," he told her.

All too soon the moon rose and the sounds of wolves shifting filled the air. Once the last of the pain receded Lila moved to Riley and nuzzled him. He saw the surprise in his eyes at her action and she yipped lightly. The human part of her might still have some reservations about getting involved but her wolf didn't.

Riley growled softly and nuzzled her back before they turned their attention to their newest pack member. It was Ryan's first full moon and when his wolf howled in joy at the moon every wolf there joined him.

The pack ran and hunted until the wee hours of the morning and then they returned to human, most of them did anyway, and headed back to their homes.

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Lila was quiet as Riley drove them back to the hospital. She was still so overwhelmed by the emotions churning inside her. She cared for the man beside her, maybe she was even a little in love with him, but she was scared of losing him. And yet... "Have you found an apartment yet?" she asked.

"Not yet. I haven't really had the time to look. Why do you ask, doll?" he replied.

She turned so she was watching his face. "When we're able to go back to Richland in a few days I want you to check out of that hotel and come stay with me and Kami."

Riley glanced over at her. "Are you sure about this, Lila?"

"I am. And not because I want to lean on you for support during Kami's battle with leukemia. I want **you** , Riley. I'm scared as hell something is going to happen to take you from me, from us, but I can't let that control me. I **won't** let it control me."

"Alright, doll." He wanted to shout and his wolf howled with joy in his head but he managed to keep his composure.

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Mercy heard them slip into the room and opened her eyes. "She woke up once in the night, it took her a minute to remember where you were, but other than that it was a good night," she whispered.

"Thank you for staying with her," Lila said softly.

"Don't mention it. I don't k now how you did this alone for two years." It blew Mercy's mind a little.

"I always made sure we were in a rinky dink motel in the middle of nowhere and as far away from everyone else as possible. I put her to bed before I had to shift and made sure she had soft music playing so she wouldn't hear me shifting in the bathroom. My wolf wanted to hunt but protecting Kami was more important."

Riley slipped his arm around her and held her close. There were no words that could make up for the way she'd had to live for the two years she was on the run. "Never again," he growled softly.

"Let me wake Jesse and we'll get out of here so you two can get some rest," Mercy murmured.

It took a few minutes but soon they were alone in the room with Kami. "Let's get some rest, doll," Riley said and caressed her cheek a moment. While Lila slid onto the bed with her daughter Riley took the fold out chair that was next to it. He watched Lila as she drifted off and silently swore to do all in his power to keep the both of them safe.

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It felt like they'd been away from the townhouse for years instead of just a couple of weeks. It was evening by the time they finally got in and Lila let Riley carry Kami up to her room while she fixed her daughter something light to eat because she still got sick to her stomach if she ate anything spicy or heavy like hamburgers. Dinner tonight was a grilled cheese sandwich, with the crust cut off, and blueberry yogurt. Kami loved yogurt.

"I missed my bed," Kami said once the tray was placed on her lap. She gave her mother a watered down smile before she picked up her sandwich to nibble on it.

Lila leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "I know, mo storin," she said softly. She'd decided to get a set of walkie-talkies so that if Kami needed anything while she was resting she could just speak into one and Lila would be right there. "Remember, if I'm downstairs and you need anything, you just push this button and speak into it and I'll be right here."

"I remember, mommy," Kami said. The walkie was lying on the bed next to her so it was within easy reach.

Lila sat on the edge of the bed while she ate. "When you're feeling better what do you say we go see Warren and Kyle?" They were putting her birthday party on hold but in two days Kami would be five.

"Yes!" Kami said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. She adored Warren and Kyle.

"Alright then, you get some rest and we'll see how you feel tomorrow."

"Okay, mommy," Kami replied. "Love you," she added with a yawn.

"I love you too, mo storin, more than anything else in this world," Lila replied. She tucked the blankets around her, ran fingers through her hair, and sang softly to her until she fell asleep.

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While Lila got Kami settled in bed Riley carried his bags in from the SUV then went into the kitchen to make the two of them something for dinner. They both needed a good, home-cooked meal and she had enough to deal with. He could handle dinner.

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"Something smells good," Lila said when she slipped downstairs some time later.

"Chicken broccoli casserole," Riley replied. "It's got cheese and alfredo sauce in it. I also made garlic bread. It's just about done. Why don't you go relax, doll. I got this."

Lila studied him a moment. "Okay," she finally said and went to sit on the sofa. She propped her arms on the arm rest and rested her chin on them so she could watch him. "My mum would have liked you," she said after a moment.

"Yeah? Why is that?" he asked.

"Because you can cook and you want to take care of me and Kami. She always said a good man is one who can provide more than just a paycheck to his family. He takes care of all their needs. You've done that even when I kept you at arm's length."

"She sounds like a wise woman. Wish I could have met her."

"Me too," Lila admitted. "It's still hard, some days, knowing she's gone. You always hear people say things like 'It gets easier with time' but it doesn't. They're just speaking platitudes."

"You never lose that ache, trust me on that, doll. The pain might get a little less and one day you might be able to think of them without feeling like your heart is breaking all over again, but that ache is always there. My brother's been gone almost forty years now but the ache is still there."

Lila found herself moving to him as he spoke. "I'm so sorry for your loss," she said softly.

"Ah, doll, it was a long time ago," Riley replied even as he wrapped his arms around her. "Tony would have liked you. He would have said you were exactly what I needed; a strong woman who wouldn't put up with any bullshit."

"You two were close?" she asked quietly.

"Thick as thieves. Back in the seventies being gay was even less acceptable than it is now. Oh, sure, many places now don't give a damn about who a person sleeps with, but there's still a long way to go for people like Warren and Kyle. He'd gone to a club with some friends and when they left they got jumped. When you live in the projects, being a deviant can get you killed. Not two months later I was attacked. Damn near killed my mama to think both her sons were dead. It took a lot of convincing to get my Alpha to let me tell her the truth."

"Is she still alive?" Lila asked.

"Yeah. She's about to turn eighty ad still sharp as a whip. Maybe we can go visit her sometime," he replied.

"I'd like that," Lila admitted. She wanted to meet the woman who'd raised such a good man.

They stood there like that, wrapped in each others arms, for just a little while and then they sat down to eat their dinner.

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Lila stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. After dinner they'd curled up on the sofa together to watch a movie and then she'd slipped upstairs to change. She couldn't believe how nervous she felt. She knew Riley wasn't expecting anything and part of her was worried she was going to freak out, but she wanted to **try** to put her assault behind her. She ran a hand through her hair, took a deep breath, and headed downstairs.

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Riley was still on the sofa when she returned. He sat there staring at the vision she presented him with and it took all his willpower to not push her up against the wall and take her right then and there. "What are you trying to do to me, doll?" he growled.

Lila stood there in a silk and lace negligee. The black silk contrasted nicely with her red hair and fair skin."Turn you on," she replied.

"You're definitely doing that. Are you sure about this? I don't want you to think you **have** to do anything."

"I know, and I am. Or as sure as I can be. I can't promise I won't freak out but... I want to put what happened behind me. I want to forget what he did to me. Please... please help me forget," she whispered.

Riley was on his feet and at her side in seconds. "We'll take it slow, doll, and if you need me to stop I will," he promised.

"I trust you," she said softly.

Riley picked her up and carried her upstairs to the bedroom. He would take his time because he didn't want to scare her and because he wanted to savor every moment with her. He placed her on the bed before he removed his shirt and crawled onto it with her. The flash of desire he saw in her eyes made him groan. Still he was careful with her. He watched her for any sign of unease as he slid his hands down her body. "You're beautiful, doll," he murmured and leaned in to kiss her.

Lila shivered at his caress. He was moving slowly, giving her time to process everything he did and she was grateful to him for it. She was almost tentative as she reached up to slide her hands across his chest. For the first time since Robert died she was being intimate because she **wanted** to be, not because she had to be in order to put food on the table.

Riley saw something in her eyes and reached up to touch her cheek. "Let me help you forget," he growled. His control was slipping little by little.

"Yes," Lila breathed and leaned up to kiss him heatedly.

Riley's control snapped and he slid his hands down to grip her negligee and pull it up and off her body. Staring down at her he wanted to devour her.

"You've got too many clothes on." Lila said and tugged at the waist of his pants.

Riley smirked and leaned up a little so she could get them undone. "That's easily remedied, doll," he replied.

"Yes, it is." She got the button and zipper undone and pushed them down until he was able to kick them off. Her breath caught when she realized his boxers went with. He was gorgeous, simply gorgeous. Every last inch of him.

Riley chuckled softly. "A man certainly likes to know when his woman finds him attractive."

Lila flashed him a smile. "You're more than just attractive, you're gorgeous," she said. "Every last inch of you," she added and slid her fingers along the length of him for emphasis.

Riley shuddered and kissed her hungrily while his hands caressed her. Then his lips followed his hands. Soon he had her writhing on the bed and the sight of it was almost his undoing. He used mouth and hands to push her over the edge.

Lila muffled her noises as much as she could because she didn't want to disturb her daughter's sleep. When she finally fell over the edge she cried out and her entire body shook with her release.

Riley eased her through the orgasm and only when she stopped shivering did he move back up her body. "God you're beautiful," he growled.

"Thank you," she breathed and leaned up to kiss him. She didn't care that his lips tasted like her.

Riley groaned at that. The groan turned into a growl when he felt her fingers curl around him.

"Please," Lila whispered against his lips. "Make me forget all of them." It wasn't just the rape that weighed heavily on her mind, it was all the things she'd had to do in order to provide for her daughter.

Riley needed no further urging. He was careful as he moved and positioned himself between her thighs. He wasn't a small man and he didn't want to hurt her. When he was fully sheathed in her he shuddered. There was no time for words then. They moved together and every little sound of pleasure she made drove him on.

Lila clung to him as they moved. He was healing a part of her she'd thought was forever broken, But it wasn't. **She** wasn't. When he pushed her over the edge the second time she muffled her cries against his shoulder even as her nails left red welts, that would quickly fade, down his back.

He'd planned on drawing it out but when she tightened and spasmed around him he couldn't keep his own release at bay. He fell with her. He half collapsed on top of her before he rolled them so they were on their sides instead.

Lila lay there curled in his arms, body covered in sweat, and never felt better, cleaner, than she did in that moment. "Thank you," she murmured.

"You don't need to thank me, doll. I'd do anything for you," he replied. He held her until he felt her relax as she drifted off to sleep. He pressed a kiss to her temple then let himself follow her in slumber. He and his wolf were content. She was theirs even if the mate bond wasn't there yet. It would be. Soon.


End file.
